2.17 L conjunctivitis cases since June

According to health officials, a mutated strain of adenovirus has caused the widespread infection, which is “usual” every few years.

Deputy health commissioner of Surat Municipal Corporation, Ashish Naik, said the city is now seeing a decline in the number of conjunctivitis cases, which had peaked in the beginning of July.

“Conjunctivitis surfaced in Surat in the first week of June and was at its peak in the beginning of July, with close to 700 cases being reported every day. It began declining from the second week of July and currently, only about 30 new cases are being reported every day. As of now, 8,000 to 9,000 patients having contracted the infection in the city,” he added.

In Vadodara, too, the numbers have declined from around 500 new infections a day to around 100 now. A doctor from a government hospital in Vadodara said, “We have seen symptoms of both viral and bacterial conjunctivitis but viral conjunctivitis was more widespread, as it is highly contagious and can be classified as eye flu.”

“The spread could have been contained had the government acted in time and suspended schools for about three-four days in the beginning of July, as it has been seen that in most households, the adults have contracted the infection from children… But since the infection is not life-threatening, it has not been taken seriously,” the doctor added.

Gujarat Chemists and Druggists Association president Alpesh Patel said that though the state saw a 25 per cent spike in the sales of eye drops and anti-allergics in June and July, the numbers are now declining.

“The situation is getting better now though sale of medicines is still high. Drugs like ciprofloxacin, chloramphenicol, gentamicin, tobramycin, moxifloxacin as well as lubricant molecule for treating symptoms of itching, along with anti-allergics, are in high demand in all cities. Surat has seen the maximum sale of drops and drugs for eye infection followed by Ahmedabad and Vadodara,” he added.