Acute Hemorrhagic Conjunctivitis

Acute hemorrhagic conjunctivitis is an acute viral eye infection associated in the source material with enterovirus 70 and a variant of coxsackievirus A24 ^[1]. The illness is characterized as a form of conjunctivitis with hemorrhagic features, specifically subconjunctival hemorrhage, and rapid symptom onset ^[1]. Source-backed detail on additional etiologic diversity or pathogenesis is not yet available beyond these agent associations ^[1].

The source description emphasizes the rapid onset of severely painful conjunctivitis accompanied by subconjunctival hemorrhage ^[1]. The course is usually benign and resolves within five to seven days ^[1]. A rare severe complication is polio-like paralysis, described as radiculomyelitis, which develops in approximately 1 in 10,000 patients infected with enterovirus 70 ^[1][2]. No treatment is available in the cited source ^[1].

The available sources present acute hemorrhagic conjunctivitis as a recognized but highly contagious infectious syndrome, with publication records spanning multiple decades and reports from different settings, including India ^[1][3][4]. The material does not provide incidence, outbreak size, seasonality, or population-level burden estimates ^[1][3][4]. Geographic distribution and detailed surveillance patterns are therefore not yet fully characterized from the provided snippets ^[1][3][4].

The source material states that acute hemorrhagic conjunctivitis is highly contagious and that measures to control spread are important ^[1]. However, the snippets do not specify the exact route or exposure mechanism of transmission, so source-backed detail on direct contact, fomites, or other pathways is not yet available ^[1].

The provided sources do not identify specific high-risk age groups, occupational exposures, or clinical risk strata for acute hemorrhagic conjunctivitis ^[1][3][4]. Source-backed detail on vulnerable populations is therefore not yet available.

The cited abstract recommends providing information to patients and the community to prevent undue alarm, discourage home remedies, and help control spread ^[1]. Beyond this communication-centered control approach, the snippets do not supply specific preventive measures such as isolation guidance, hygiene practices, or environmental disinfection ^[1].

For surveillance purposes, acute hemorrhagic conjunctivitis should be read as a rapidly spreading viral conjunctivitis syndrome with abrupt painful onset and hemorrhagic ocular findings ^[1]. The record also warrants attention for rare neurologic complication associated with enterovirus 70, although this appears uncommon ^[1][2]. Because the provided sources are limited, outbreak magnitude, transmission setting, and seasonal behavior should be treated as not yet established from this evidence set ^[1][3][4].

1. 1 Wright PW et al. Acute hemorrhagic conjunctivitis. Am Fam Physician. 1992 Jan. PMID: 1309404. PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1309404/
2. 2 Radiculomyelitis complicating acute haemorrhagic conjunctivitis. Journal of the Neurological Sciences. 1976. doi: 10.1016/0022-510x(76)90239-2. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/0022-510x(76)90239-2
3. 3 Acute haemorrhagic conjunctivitis in India. The Indian Journal of Pediatrics. 1982. doi: 10.1007/bf02830759. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/bf02830759
4. 4 Acute Hemorrhagic Conjunctivitis. JAMA. 1983. doi: 10.1001/jama.1983.03330340025025. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.1983.03330340025025
5. 5 Ozaki N et al. [Acute hemorrhagic conjunctivitis]. Ryoikibetsu Shokogun Shirizu. 1999. PMID: 10201161. PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10201161/
6. 6 Yin-Murphy M et al. Acute hemorrhagic conjunctivitis. Prog Med Virol. 1984. PMID: 6199813. PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/6199813/

ICD-10

B30.3

ICD-11

9A60.1

Total cases

796K

Total deaths

4

Peak month

2023-09

Coverage

2 reporting countries · 2010-01-01 → 2026-06-20