Kathmandu, May 18:

The onset of summer has seen a sharp rise in the number of people suffering from conjunctivitis in the Kathmandu Valley.

Dr Ben Limbu, a resident doctor at the Tilganga Eye Centre, said: “Conjunctivitis is caused by a virus or bacteria and can spread easily from person to person.”

According to him, 30 of 100 outdoor patients at the centre were found to be infected with conjunctivitis whereas 14 out of 16 patients in the emergency ward were affected by the infection.

“This summer, we have been receiving many cases of viral conjunctivitis which is more common during the winter,” he said adding: “We don’t know the reason for this.” Bacterial conjunctivitis is common during summer. There is no treatment for the viral conjunctivitis and it sometimes gets chronic as well, he said.

“The immune system of the eye becomes very weak due to viral conjunctivitis,” said Dr Limbu, adding: “Patients should take antibiotics to prevent infection.”

Dr Lalit Prasad Poudyal, a homeopathic expert, said: “The redness in the eye or inner eyelid, greater amount of tears and thick yellow discharge that crusts over the eyelashes, especially after sleep, are the symptoms of the bacterial conjunctivitis.”

He said that such infection would last for a week and could be cured easily by through regular medication.

“We can prevent transmission of the disease by not using items used by infected persons,” he said, adding that a sick person should stay away from crowd. “Washing hands before and after applying medicine in the infected eye can prevent the spread of infection,” he said.