Acute hemorrhagic conjunctivitis epidemic--2003 in Nepal.

This rapid communication present the findings of nationwide outbreak of acute hemorrhagic conjunctivitis (AHC) epidemic occurred in Nepal during summer 2003. Only ten percent of samples showed bacterial and no fungus were grown. On the contrary, viruses were detected in 60.0% cases studied. Of the viruses detected, Adenovirus (ADV), Coxsackie virus (CA24v) and both accounted for 83.3% (30/36), 11.1% (4/36) and 5.5% (2/36), respectively. Interestingly, ADV was detected also from one of the ten a Rupees bill.