Pink Eye Outbreak Hits Ivy Campuses

Princeton and Dartmouth have recently reported outbreaks of conjunctivitis, raising fears the infection could spread to Harvard.

Roughly 500 cases of the illness—commonly known as pink eye—have been diagnosed at Dartmouth since late January, said Dartmouth Health Service’s spokesperson Laurel Stavis. Stavis said it is likely that more cases have gone undetected, since symptoms can be mild.

This year’s outbreak has been so extensive that agents from both the federal Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the New Hampshire Bureau of Health traveled to the campus to assess the situation. Stavis said it was “impossible” to determine the outbreak’s cause.

At Princeton, 160 students were diagnosed with conjunctivitis in the last two weeks. Janet Finnie, assistant director of Princeton University’s Health Services, said that while cases of conjunctivitis often peak at this time of year, it is extremely rare for Princeton to have such a large number of infections.

As with Dartmouth, the cause of Princeton’s outbreak is unknown.

Dartmouth has handed out 1,000 containers of antibacterial hand lotion to students in an effort to stem the disease’s spread.

According to the Associated Press, both Dartmouth student health clinic doctors and the CDC have warned the disease may spread to students from other campuses during spring break—as infected students visit friends who go to other colleges. Both viral and bacterial conjunctivitis are highly contagious and spread through direct contact with infected individuals and contaminated objects.

David S. Rosenthal ’59, director of University Health Services (UHS), allowed for the possibility that a highly contagious disease like pink eye could move from campus to campus. He recalled a similar incident that occurred a few years ago, when an outbreak of stomach flu at Dartmouth led to the infection of 150 Harvard first-years a week later.

Rosenthal said UHS has placed messages on dining hall table tents throughout campus encouraging students to “keep those germs north of the border.”

Conjunctivitis is an infection of the eye in which the conjunctiva—the lining of the eye and the eyelid—becomes irritated and inflamed. The most common symptoms of conjunctivitis are irritation, visual sensitivity and discharge from the eyes.

While viral conjunctivitis is similar to the common cold and will usually disappear on its own, bacterial conjunctivitis must be treated with antibiotics.

Sharing makeup, eye medicine or bed sheets can spread the disease. Students can best avoid infection by washing their hands frequently and by not touching their eyes.

Rosenthal advised students who suspect they might be infected to visit UHS.