RAWALPINDI, Aug 27: Conjunctivitis also known as 'pink eye' has engulfed the twin cities of Rawalpindi-Islamabad with hundreds of people suffering from the viral disease.

Though there are many causes of the disease, Director (health services) Dr Zafar Gondal said that severe humidity in the twin cities was main culprit behind the viral infection, which causes inflammation to the outermost layer of eye.

“Conjunctivitis prevails mostly in flood-hit areas but humid environment can also cause the disease. It is viral infection and can pass person to person through handshake and touching contaminated objects,” Dr Gondal said.

He acknowledged that the disease had witnessed unprecedented surge in Rawalpindi and adjoining areas adding that besides humidity, interaction of relief workers with infected people in flood-hit areas had also contributed to the spread of the disease in the twin cities. He said a number of officials in his office were suffering from the disease adding that precautionary measures should be adopted to escape the infection.

Dr Ali Raza, associate professor in Rawalpindi Medical College (RMC) and head of Holy Family Hospital (HFH) eye department told Dawn that an average 200 to 260 people suffering from conjunctivitis daily visited hospital.

“The disease spread has reached epidemic proportions and can communicate swiftly. There are various kinds of conjunctivitis and usually its symptoms subside in seven to 15 days. Physicians should immediately be consulted in case of severe itching in eyes,” Dr Raza said.

The emergency ward of Benazir Bhutto Hospital (BBH) is also being thronged by increasing number of patients suffering from the viral infection. According to eye specialists, the disease turns dangerous when an infected person rubs eyes continuously.

Casualty Medical Officer (CMO) at BBH Dr Ghafoor Niazi told this reporter that majority of the patients visiting the hospital were suffering from conjunctivitis adding that he himself was suffering from the viral infection.

Suggesting precautions, he said one should not shake hands with infected person; avoid using contaminated towels, pillows, mobile phone and other objects that are used by infected person and should not rub eyes and wash hands before going to bed.

He said infected person should not touch and rub their eyes and wash their eyes 10 to 15 times daily.