EPIDEMIC ACUTE HEMORRHAGIC CONJUNCTIVITIS IN THE EASTERN PROVINCE OF SAUDI-ARABIA

Acute haemorrhagic conjunctivitis (AHC) is a viral infection of the conjunctiva caused by Enterovirus type 70 but can occasionally be caused by Coxsackie virus type A-24. This article reports an epidemic of AHC which is the first outbreak caused by Enterovirus type 70 in the eastern province of Saudi Arabia. A total of 12 patients with AHC were examined (six (50%) male and 6 (50%) female). The most common characteristic findings of this illness were subconjunctival haemorrhages in ten (83%) patients, and preauricular lymphadenopathy in seven (58%) patients. An Enterovirus type 70 was isolated from one conjunctival scraping specimen. Successful isolation of the virus could be due to the fact that conjunctival scrapings were taken at a very early stage of the disease (within 48 hours).