Over 38,000 conjunctivitis cases reported in Himachal Pradesh in August

Shimla: Himachal Pradesh has registered over 38,000 conjunctivitis cases this month with 1,701 infections reported on August 28 alone, officials said on Wednesday.

According to data available with the state's Health Department, Mandi district reported the maximum of 6,084 cases, followed by 5,840 infections in Kangra, 5,797 in Hamirpur, 4,033 in Solan and 3,944 in Chamba.

Sirmaur district has recorded 3,855 conjunctivitis cases, Una 3,471, Shimla 2,200, Bilaspur 1,839, Kullu 1,442 and Kinnaur 16, the data showed.

The Lahaul and Spiti district has been free from the disease so far.

As many as 38,521 cases of conjunctivitis have been reported in Himachal Pradesh between August 1 and 28, Mission Director of National Health Mission Sudesh Kumar Mokta told PTI.

Director of State Health Services Dr Gopal Berry said cases of conjunctivitis or eye flu are being reported from different parts of the state with symptoms like redness in the eyes, stickiness, irritation and swelling in some cases.

It is a common infection which gets cured in three to five days and it does not cause any kind of vision problem, he added.

Doctors have advised patients suffering from conjunctivitis to avoid going to crowded places and keep their belongings like handkerchiefs, towels, pillows, sheets and clothes separate.

They have also advised parents not to send their children suffering from the disease to the school for three to five days.