Epidemic Kerato-Conjunctivitis: Report of an Outbreak Which Resulted in Ward Cross-Infection

April 1961 it became apparent that an increasing number of patients was attending the out-patients department of the Birmingham and Midland Eye Hospital with a follicular conjunctivitis, and an associated pre-auricular adenitis, which often pro- ceeded to a keratitis. This was soon recognized as an outbreak of epidemic keratoconjunctivitis and therefore precautionary measures were immediately taken to prevent iatrogenic spread, e.g. cessation of tonometry, tonography, and gonioscopy. Altogether about 500 patients were affected but the unusual feature of this outbreak was the spread of the disease to involve the in-patients of the hospital, a serious degree of cross-infection occurring in the wards. The main purpose of this paper is to report this unusual feature of the outbreak of epidemic kerato-conjunctivitis but mention will be made of how the disease affected the out-patients.