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. 2022 Sep 7;14(5):542-544.
doi: 10.1093/inthealth/ihab049.

Keeping an eye on pink eye: a global conjunctivitis outbreak expert survey

Gurbani Kaur  1   2 , Gerami D Seitzman  2   3 , Thomas M Lietman  2   3 , Stephen D McLeod  2   3 , Travis C Porco  2   3 , Thuy Doan  2   3 , Michael S Deiner  2   3
Affiliations

Keeping an eye on pink eye: a global conjunctivitis outbreak expert survey

Gurbani Kaur et al. Int Health. .

Abstract

Background: Recurrent conjunctivitis epidemics are prevalent worldwide. Aetiologies are often undetermined.

Methods: We surveyed conjunctivitis researchers about perceived trends in prevalence, incidence and aetiologies of conjunctivitis epidemics.

Results: Of the 155 participants, 7% endorsed globally variable and dynamic microbial aetiologies of conjunctivitis epidemics. Increased incidence of conjunctivitis epidemics over the last decade were reported by 21% of respondents. Peak seasons differed between the northern and southern hemispheres.

Conclusions: There is regional equipoise regarding the increasing incidence and emerging underlying aetiologies of epidemic conjunctivitis. Further investigation of global surveillance and microbial characterization of conjunctivitis outbreaks could improve prevention and outcomes.

Keywords: EKC; adenovirus; antimicrobial stewardship; conjunctivitis; epidemic; microbial surveillance.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Reported trends in prevalence, aetiology and incidence of epidemic conjunctivitis. (A) Map depicting locations of conjunctivitis outbreaks from 2012 and 2017 as reported by PubMed, ProMED and other online news releases (section VIII. Supplement References from Supplementary Data). Coloured circles indicate reported microbial aetiology or lack thereof (yellow). (B) Survey reported assumed microbial aetiology of international epidemics as a percentage of suspected pathogen by each GBD region. (C) Expert endorsement of prevalent conjunctivitis epidemics by GBD region as a percentage of expert responses by region. (D) Expert perception of increasing incidence of epidemics reported as a percentage of affirmation, ambivalence or denial by total responses in each GBD region. Sample sizes for each plot are indicated in parentheses in the label for each plot.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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