The number of patients who contracted conjunctivitis, a viral infection known as pink eye, in Al-Dakahlia Governorate, north Cairo, has topped 893, the Egyptian Ministry of Health announced on Saturday.
Most of the cases were detected in the northern villages of the governorate, known for fisheries and fishing, spokesman of the ministry Dr. Abdulrahman Shahin told reporters here.
“The highly communicable conjunctivitis, an acute inflammation of the outermost layer of the eye and the inner surface of the eyelids, is caused by an allergic reaction or an infection usually viral, but sometimes bacterial,” he said.
“Most cases recover after a few days without complications in the eye,” Shahin added.
Meanwhile, undersecretary of the ministry Dr. Ayman Rajab said the patients diagnosed for the disease till this afternoon included 336 pupils in addition to their relatives.
“The local hospitals and medical centers have been alerted and provided with additional numbers of ophthalmologists,” he pointed out.
Dr. Rajab highlighted the importance of cleanliness as a way of preventing the spread of the infection. The first infection case in the governorate has been reported on Thursday. (KUNA)