RED eye disease, or conjunctivitis, affected 713 people in Shanghai over the 10 weeks from June 15 when the city began enhanced monitoring of the disease.

The Shanghai Health Bureau said yesterday the number suffering from acute epidemic conjunctivitis was in line with past years and there had not been any regional epidemics.

However the bureau is urging schools to be on the lookout for the disease when the new semesters begin September, the peak season for the disease.

"There has been a sharp increase in the incidence of conjunctivitis in China this year and some provinces have had outbreaks recently. Most of the outbreaks are found in schools so teachers should be aware of the disease and how to prevent and control it," said Song Guofan, an official at Shanghai Health Bureau. "Whenever a student shows symptoms, the school should take the student to hospital immediately and isolate them and the people they have been in contact with."

Acute epidemic conjunctivitis - "red eye disease" - is a highly contagious conjunctivitis and is characterized by sudden onset of painful, swollen, red eyes. The disease is more likely to be contracted in summer.

To help control the disease, local health authorities set up a monitoring network in July with 11 hospitals which have to provide daily reports on patients to the city's Eye Disease Control and Prevention Center.

Hospitals also warned kindergartens about hand-foot-mouth disease, a common infection for children under five.

The Xieheluoyang Kindergarten in Minhang District detected four hand-foot-mouth disease cases last week.

(Shanghai Daily September 11, 2007)