A possible new virus strain resulting in sore eyes or conjunctivitis that has influenced lots of Mumbai people has turn into a matter of worry among health experts.

Some people have reported problems like ‘corneal involvement’, and the medical diagnosing pointing it to be because of `adenovirus', which has made experts fear that it could be a new type of the ‘conjunctivitis’ virus.

S Natrajan, chairman and medical director, Aditya Jyot Eye Hospital, said, “We are planning to carry out a detailed virological study.”

Generally, the infection gets healed within 7-8 days with antibiotics but some cases of `corneal involvement', in which cornea gets spots involve lengthier treatment, he said.

Medical doctors from public and private infirmaries have stated that the majority of the patients get self-medication as the cure is successful using some long-familiar antibiotic drugs. “We get five to seven patients in a day,” they said.

“The best thing is precaution as the disease spreads through touch. Therefore, do not touch your own eyes,” Natrajan said.

In 1981, Mumbai had conjunctivitis epidemic when, in some cases, patients had paralytic attack. The virus strain was discovered by Haffkine Institute as enterovirus-70.

Ranjana Deshmukh, Haffkine Institute Director stated that she had not received any referral cases thus far for viral examination in the recent year. “If we get samples we will definitely do the investigation.”

She said that most of the patients get cured with different antibiotic drugs available in the market that clears up any skin-deep infection but in a few cases the eyw inflammation remains for a moment.

She advised, “The patient should wear goggles to prevent getting glare of the light and also give importance to personal hygiene.”