Aravind Eye Hospital, Madurai, India.
Francis I. Proctor Foundation, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States.
J Clin Virol. 2022 Dec;157:105318. doi: 10.1016/j.jcv.2022.105318. Epub 2022 Oct 5.
Seasonal outbreaks of infectious conjunctivitis remain a public health issue. Determination of outbreak etiologies in the context of a worldwide pandemic may provide useful information to guide public health strategies. The aim of this study was to identify pathogens associated with outpatient infectious conjunctivitis during the COVID-19 Delta surge.
This prospective study was conducted from April 2021 to September 2021. All outpatients presenting to the Aravind Eye Center (Madurai, India) with signs and symptoms consistent with acute infectious conjunctivitis were eligible. Three swabs were obtained from each participant: one from each conjunctiva and one from the anterior nares. Samples were processed for metagenomic RNA deep sequencing (RNA-seq).
Samples from 106 study participants were sequenced. The most common presenting symptoms were tearing (86%) and itching (71%). Preauricular lymphadenopathy was present in 38% of participants. 20% of participants had close contacts with similar symptoms. Systemic symptoms such as coughing, runny nose, vomiting or diarrhea were uncommonly reported. 60% of all participants used some medicated eye drops upon enrollment. 75% of study participants demonstrated infection with human adenovirus D (HAdV-D). 11% of conjunctivitis was associated with SARS-CoV-2. 15% had no definitive pathogen detected. 8% of all participants had codetection of more than one pathogen on RNA-seq.
During the COVID-19 Delta surge in India, HAdV-D was the most common pathogen associated with infectious conjunctivitis. SARS-CoV-2 was the second most common associated pathogen. Seasonal surveillance may be necessary for the determination of emerging and reemerging pathogens responsible for infectious conjunctivitis.
传染性结膜炎的季节性爆发仍然是一个公共卫生问题。在全球大流行的背景下确定爆发病因可能为指导公共卫生策略提供有用信息。本研究旨在确定与 COVID-19 德尔塔疫情期间门诊传染性结膜炎相关的病原体。
这是一项从 2021 年 4 月至 2021 年 9 月进行的前瞻性研究。所有出现符合急性传染性结膜炎的症状和体征的门诊患者均符合入选标准。每位参与者采集三个拭子：每只结膜一个，前鼻孔一个。样本用于宏基因组 RNA 深度测序（RNA-seq）。
对 106 名研究参与者的样本进行了测序。最常见的症状是流泪（86%）和瘙痒（71%）。38%的参与者有耳前淋巴结肿大。20%的参与者有类似症状的密切接触者。全身性症状如咳嗽、流鼻涕、呕吐或腹泻很少有报告。所有参与者中有 60%在入组时使用了一些眼部药物。所有参与者中有 75%感染了人类腺病毒 D（HAdV-D）。11%的结膜炎与 SARS-CoV-2 相关。15%的患者未检测到明确的病原体。8%的参与者在 RNA-seq 上同时检测到一种以上病原体的共检测。
在印度 COVID-19 德尔塔疫情期间，HAdV-D 是与传染性结膜炎最相关的最常见病原体。SARS-CoV-2 是第二常见的相关病原体。可能需要进行季节性监测，以确定导致传染性结膜炎的新兴和重现病原体。
