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 (August 20). 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.
Also Read: Conjunctivitis Outbreak: Here’s How To Prevent Getting A Pink Eye During Monsoon
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.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
NDTV – Dettol have been working towards a clean and healthy India since 2014 via the Banega Swachh India initiative, which is helmed by Campaign Ambassador Amitabh Bachchan. The campaign aims to highlight the inter-dependency of humans and the environment, and of humans on one another with the focus on One Health, One Planet, One Future – Leaving No One Behind. It stresses on the need to take care of, and consider, everyone’s health in India – especially vulnerable communities – theLGBTQ population,indigenous people, India’s different tribes, ethnic and linguistic minorities, people with disabilities, migrants, geographically remote populations, gender and sexual minorities. In wake of the currentCOVID-19 pandemic, the need for WASH (Water,SanitationandHygiene) is reaffirmed as handwashing is one of the ways to prevent Coronavirus infection and other diseases. The campaign will continue to raise awareness on the same along with focussing on the importance of nutrition and healthcare for women and children, fightmalnutrition, mental wellbeing, self care, science and health,adolescent health & gender awareness. Along with the health of people, the campaign has realised the need to also take care of the health of the eco-system. Our environment is fragile due to human activity, which is not only over-exploiting available resources, but also generating immense pollution as a result of using and extracting those resources. The imbalance has also led to immense biodiversity loss that has caused one of the biggest threats to human survival – climate change. It has now been described as a “code red for humanity.” The campaign will continue to cover issues likeair pollution,waste management,plastic ban,manual scavengingand sanitation workers andmenstrual hygiene. Banega Swasth India will also be taking forward the dream of Swasth Bharat, the campaign feels that only a Swachh or clean India wheretoiletsare used andopen defecation free (ODF)status achieved as part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan launched byPrime Minister Narendra Modiin 2014, can eradicate diseases like diahorrea and the country can become a Swasth or healthy India.
