Key result
Coxsackievirus-A24 was identified as the aetiological agent in the 2023 acute hemorrhagic conjunctivitis outbreak in India, being present in all enterovirus-positive samples (52.6% of total).
Why the study?
Acute hemorrhagic conjunctivitis saw an alarming three- to fourfold increase in incidence across India in 2023, requiring identification of the aetiological agent, genetic characterization, and description of clinical presentation.
Observational (n=300)
Yes
The 2023 outbreak of acute hemorrhagic conjunctivitis in India was primarily driven by the Coxsackievirus-A24 strain GIV C5.
Supports CVA24 GIV C5 as driver of 2023 Indian AHC outbreak; leaves open generalizability and need for prospective surveillance.
OBJECTIVE: Acute hemorrhagic conjunctivitis (AHC), commonly called pink eye, saw an alarming increase in incidence from July to September 2023 in different parts of India. Pink eye occurrences had reportedly increased three to four times more than in prior years, raising concerns among the community and healthcare professionals. This study aimed to identify the aetiological agent associated with AHC in 2023, genetically characterize the agent and describe the clinical presentation. METHODS: From July to September 2023, 300 ocular and throat swab samples were collected from patients with AHC across various regions of India, including Maharashtra, Daman & Diu, Delhi, Lucknow, and Hyderabad. These samples represented a diverse geographic spread of the condition. The swabs were examined for qRT-PCR analyses, to detect adenovirus and enterovirus. Following this, conserved regions within the enteroviral 5'-UTR and VP2/3 C gene were further investigated for serotype identification. RESULTS: Enterovirus was found in 52.6 % (158 out of 300) of the patients. Among the enterovirus-positive samples, coxsackievirus-A24 was present in every positive sample. CONCLUSION: The rise in AHC cases in India in 2023 was attributed to the Coxsackievirus-A24 strain GIV C5.
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Chavan et al. (2024) conducted an observational in Acute hemorrhagic conjunctivitis (n=300). Coxsackievirus-A24 infection was evaluated on Detection of enterovirus. Coxsackievirus-A24 was identified as the aetiological agent in the 2023 acute hemorrhagic conjunctivitis outbreak in India, being present in all enterovirus-positive samples (52.6% of total).
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