A shipyard worker develops sudden onset unilateral watery discharge, foreign body sensation, and a large subconjunctival haemorrhage in one eye; several colleagues develop identical illness within a day. The most likely agent is:

• A Adenovirus type 8
• B Enterovirus 70 ✓
• C Klebsiella pneumoniae
• D Chlamydia trachomatis D-K

Explanation

Acute haemorrhagic conjunctivitis is a highly contagious, short-incubation disease classically caused by enterovirus 70, with coxsackievirus A24 as the other major agent. The hallmark is rapid-onset painful conjunctivitis with prominent subconjunctival haemorrhage and explosive spread through close contacts, historically called Apollo disease during the 1969 pandemic. Adenovirus 8 causes keratoconjunctivitis with follicles rather than extensive haemorrhage, and Klebsiella and chlamydia produce purulent or mucopurulent disease.

Reference: Parsons' Diseases of the Eye, 23rd ed.

High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP

Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.