A COMPREHENSIVE ANALYSIS OF ACUTE CONJUNCTIVITIS IN TIRUNELVELI DISTRICT, TAMIL NADU, INDIA

Conjunctivitis, or pink eye, is an inflammation of the conjunctiva, the clear membrane that covers the white of the eye. Conjunctivitis is a major public health problem in Tirunelveli District, Tamil Nadu, affecting an estimated 10% of the population annually. This study aims to investigate the causes, spread, and preventive measures of conjunctivitis in the district. Epidemiological data, laboratory testing, and interviews with patients were used to identify risk factors, potential sources of infection, and treatments. From January to December 2022, case reports for conjunctivitis from 1,000 people in and around Tirunelveli were collected from hospitals. Gender-wise analysis showed that males (53.9%) and females (46.4%) were affected. Age-wise analysis revealed that the majority of cases of conjunctivitis were in the age group of 18-35 years old. Type of conjunctivitis analysis showed that bacterial conjunctivitis was the most common cause of infectious conjunctivitis, while allergic conjunctivitis affected 45.3% of the population. Analysis of the affected eye shown that the majority of cases of conjunctivitis affected one eye, with 0% of blind people and 0.1% of asymptomatic patients affected. Adenovirus was the main cause of viral conjunctivitis, and seasonal allergies were the primary cause of allergic conjunctivitis. The statistics behind the gender, age and affected eye data for conjunctivitis were significant (p<0.05). The results also indicated that 0% of the fully blind people were affected by conjunctivitis, and 0.1% and 0.3% of the asymptomatic and operated patients respectively were affected. Finally, all cases of conjunctivitis were resolved within 7-10 days from the onset of symptoms.

Keywords: Conjunctivitis, Infection, Adenovirus and allergy