BANGALORE: With summer setting in, conjunctivitis, an eye infection that causes redness and irritation, is being reported from different parts of the city.

Ophthalmologists say that reports of infection are just beginning to come in. "We started seeing more cases from the beginning of this month. It is just the beginning of the eye infection season," says Arun Samprathi, consultant ophthalmologist at Narayana Nethralaya.

Dr. Samprathi says a virus has caused the infection in most cases that have been examined at Narayana Nethralaya.

"The viral form is a less aggressive form of the infection. The itchiness is far less in this form," he adds. The hospital has been seeing at least four persons with conjunctivitis every day for the past two weeks. At the Government-run Minto Eye Hospital, the duty doctor in charge of the out patient ward says the hospital is seeing at least 15 cases of conjunctivitis a day.

"Cases come pouring in every summer because the levels of hygiene are poor. Children go out and play a lot but do not wash their hands properly," the doctor adds.

Dr. Samprathi says that a person with conjunctivitis should not touch a hand to an eye and needs to wash his/her hands often.

If the person touches a phone with an infected hand and another person touches the phone and then his/her eye there are high chances of the infection being passed, he adds.

He suggests that persons with conjunctivitis should keep their towels and bed linen separate from the rest of the family.

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