Conjunctivitis (pink eye ) outbreak now in Chicago at Northwestern University

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http://www.suntimes.com/output/health/cst-nws-pink14.html

May 14, 2002

Eye virus on loose at NU has students seeing pink

BY LUCIO GUERRERO STAFF REPORTER

An outbreak of pink eye has erupted at Northwestern University, striking

more than 100 students, and a health expert suspects an unknown student who

came back from spring break with the infection might inadvertently be to

blame for spreading the highly contagious and irritating viral infection.

" It's a strain of the virus that is not usually found in this part of the

country at this time of the year, " said Jay Terry, director of ton's

Department of Health and Human Services. " There is a theory that it may have

started with a student who traveled in the Southern Hemisphere and

contracted it. " When he got back on campus, it must have just spread. "

The university had 21 reported cases of pink eye in March. The number shot

up to 94 in April, and university representatives said they haven't seen any

letup. They're seeing three new cases a day at the campus clinic complaining

of the infection and expect the total number of cases to reach 200 by the

end of May.

Dealing with pink eye

* Conjunctivitis, or pink eye, is an infection that causes an inflammation

of the membrane lining the eyelids.

* Symptoms include redness and irritation, sensitivity to light, itchiness,

swollen eyelids, tearing and a discharge.

* The infection spreads easily from person to person, especially in schools.

* To help prevent pink eye, doctors recommend washing hands frequently and

drying with paper towels. Avoid touching other hands or rubbing the eyes or

sharing eyedrops, eye makeup and contact-lens solution.

* Left untreated, the infection usually will go away on its own in one to

six weeks.

Students at Northwestern's ton campus received e-mails from the health

department telling them the signs of pink eye and ways to avoid it. So far,

no students at NU's Chicago campus have been infected.

" I was set to be in a play Friday night, and I woke up Friday with pink

eye, " said Speicher, a Northwestern senior.

Speicher missed the play--she was set to play a witch in a campus production

of " Macbeth.'' She's taking eyedrops and hopes her infection will clear up

this week.

" People are washing their hands more, " said Bassel C. Korkor, a poetry and

international studies major. " A friend I saw today said to me, 'I'd hug you,

but I don't want to catch pink eye.' She said I look hideous. "

Korkor said about 10 of his friends have gotten the infection while it

spread through his fraternity, Beta Theta Pi.

" I was really surprised by how long I was able to avoid it, " he said.