RED eye disease, or conjunctivitis, affected 713 people in Shanghai over the 10 weeks from June 15 when
the city began enhanced monitoring of the disease.
The Shanghai Health Bureau said yesterday the number suffering
from acute epidemic conjunctivitis was in line with past years and
there had not been any regional epidemics.
However the bureau is urging schools to be on the lookout for
the disease when the new semesters begin September, the peak season
for the disease.
"There has been a sharp increase in the incidence of
conjunctivitis in China this year and some provinces have had
outbreaks recently. Most of the outbreaks are found in schools so
teachers should be aware of the disease and how to prevent and
control it," said Song Guofan, an official at Shanghai Health
Bureau. "Whenever a student shows symptoms, the school should take
the student to hospital immediately and isolate them and the people
they have been in contact with."
Acute epidemic conjunctivitis - "red eye disease" - is a highly
contagious conjunctivitis and is characterized by sudden onset of
painful, swollen, red eyes. The disease is more likely to be
contracted in summer.
To help control the disease, local health authorities set up a
monitoring network in July with 11 hospitals which have to provide
daily reports on patients to the city's Eye Disease Control and
Prevention Center.
Hospitals also warned kindergartens about hand-foot-mouth
disease, a common infection for children under five.
The Xieheluoyang Kindergarten in Minhang District detected four
hand-foot-mouth disease cases last week.
(Shanghai Daily September 11, 2007)