Devastation caused by cyclone Hudhud in Andhra Pradesh. (Press Trust of India)
Conjunctivitis, a viral eye disease, seems to be fast spreading in Odisha's Ganjam district after cyclone Hudhud, a doctor in a government hospital said.
MKCG Medical College and Hospital here is receiving around 20 new patients daily. The virus spread through air and infects people, said professor of MKCG ophthalmology department B Nageswar Rao Subudhi.
If a member of a family is infected, chances of it spreading to others are very high, he said.
The eyes of a person suffering from conjunctivitis turn red and water continuously. "It, however, does not affect the vision and a person is cured in three to four days," Subudhi said.
The sudden change in climate after the cyclonic storm could have supported spread of conjunctivitis and the virus will be in the air till the onset of winter, expected in the last week of November, he said.
The doctor said as a preventive measure, people should maintain distance from affected persons and avoid using their belongings. Patients are advised to use eye drops, maintain personal hygiene and wear dark glasses to minimize spread of the infection, he added.