Eye Specialists Recommend Hand-washing, Use of Sanitizer to Prevent Apollo

Two eye specialists, Dr Abubakar Ayinla and Dr. (Mrs) Lateefat Olokoba, have advocated frequent hand-washing and application of hand sanitizer to curtail the spread of Acute Hemorrhagic Conjunctivitis (AHC), which is widely referred to as ‘Apollo’ locally among the people.

They spoke in separate interviews in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, North Central Nigeria following the outbreak of ‘Apollo.

Ayinla, a renowned Ophthalmologist and Permanent Secretary, Kwara State Ministry of Health, cautioned Nigerians against self medication and other traditional means to treat the Acute Hemorrhagic Conjunctivitis (AHC).

Tracing the genesis of the eye disorder, Ayinla disclosed that defective process of the eyes, reaction to environmental predisposition like fume or smoke in the surroundings, wind, viral infections and others are likely the causes.

He advised people to consult their doctors whenever they feel unusual in their eyes or perceive unusual colour and discoloration, especially tilting towards redness.

The opthalmologist said, “Virus is a kind of pathogen, a disease causing agent that affects different parts of the body including the eyes, and this occurs in higher magnitude in the community, which is often passed from one person to the other through careless interaction such as handshake.”

The permanent secretary admonished people with eye disorder to visit doctors as it would help ascertain the actual disease, warning that diseases like acute glaucoma and some others have similar symptoms as Apollo.

He warned that it could result in total blindness if the situation is not properly managed.

In the same vein, Dr (Mrs) Olokoba, who is also an Ophthalmologist, identified Acute Hemorrhagic Conjunctivitis (AHC) as an eye disease that should be carefully treated.

She equally advised against the use of self medication and traditional treatment, which according to her, might further damage the eye.

Olokoba attributed the cause of the disorderliness in the eyes to virus, describing it as contagious.

She said, “It is the reason the eye disease spreads like wildfire once an individual contracts it in a community or family.

“AHC is a viral infection, and it is highly contagious. That is why when a member of the family contracts it, it is highly possible that all other members of that family will contract it. And if a child in the class has it, other members of that class are also at high risk of contracting it as well as the teacher,”  the medical doctor added.

Olokoba, who spoke on how the disease could be curbed said, “When a member of the family contracted the infection, other members of the family should ensure that they wash their hands frequently and use hand sanitizer so that they don’t get infected because the most common way of getting infected is when you touch an infected person and you mistakenly touch your eye or when an infected person touches the eye and touch another person.

“The infection on its own goes within ten days with medication, it is not seasonal but the virus that causes it, is always around and can be ignited any time and not peculiar to rainy or dry seasons.”