Itanagar: The Longding district administration has taken swift action to combat an outbreak of acute allergic conjunctivitis, commonly known as redness of the eyes, by ordering the temporary closure of schools in the Kanubari sub-division.
Longding deputy commissioner Bani Lego issued a circular mandating the closure of all schools under Kanubari and Lawnu educational blocks until July 29. The measure aims to prevent further transmission of the highly contagious disease among students and staff, officials said.
The decision to close the schools was made based on reports from the Kanubari block education officer (BEO), as confirmed by Longding DDSE Taje Jilen. Although the exact number of affected students has not been ascertained yet, medical professionals have warned about the high level of contagiousness, leading to the precautionary approach taken by the authorities.
Notably, there have also been reports of a suspected conjunctivitis outbreak in several schools within the West Siang district. Specifically, Kidzee Mach School and MM St Thomas School at Bogdo, RK Mission School at Aalo, and Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya (JNV) at Kombo have collectively reported 103 cases of the disease.
To address the situation and protect public health, the General Hospital at Aalo has issued an alert and advised all health facilities to remain vigilant and implement necessary monitoring activities.
Additionally, the district health authorities have issued a public health advisory outlining preventive measures to curb further spread of the infection in the community, the officials added.
Viral conjunctivitis is caused by various viruses and exhibits symptoms such as redness, itching, excessive tearing, and a gritty sensation in the eyes. The infection can easily spread through direct or indirect contact with an infected person’s eye secretions, contaminated objects, or respiratory droplets.
The health authorities recommend several preventive measures, including frequent hand washing, avoiding touching one’s eyes, maintaining personal hygiene, disinfecting surfaces, and isolating infected individuals. Anyone experiencing symptoms of viral conjunctivitis is urged to seek prompt medical attention, although the infection usually resolves on its own.
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