An epidemic of acute haemorrhagic conjunctivitis caused by coxsackie A24 variant.

An epidemic of acute haemorrhagic conjunctivitis (AHC) caused by a variant of coxsackie A24 (cox A24) occurred in Delhi during August to September 1988. Cox A24 antigen was detected by indirect immunofluorescence (IFA) in conjunctival cell smears of 13 of the 38 (34.2%) patients studied. Virus was isolated from conjunctival swabs in 11 (28.9%) patients and all isolates were neutralized by cox A24 antiserum. Five virus strains sent to Virology Division of Centres for Disease Control, Atlanta, USA, were confirmed as cox A24 variant. Enterovirus type 70 (EV70) was not demonstrable either by IFA or neutralization tests. Conjunctival swabs from 10 healthy laboratory controls did not show any evidence of EV70 or cox A24 virus or their antigens.