Incidence and etiology of conjunctivitis in Navy recruits

Recruit sick call at the Naval Training Center, Great Lakes, Illinois was monitored for cases of conjunctivitis during two 2-week periods in March in 1981 and 1982. Twenty-three cases were detected. The incidence of conjunctivitis was 1.1 cases per 1000 recruits per week. Peak incidence occurred during the third and fourth weeks of training and two recruit companies had multiple cases. Conjunctival cultures for viruses and Chlamydia trachomatis were negative in all cases. Concurrent cultures of conjunctival exudate were obtained from 12 cases. Haemophilus influenzae was isolated from three of these cases and Streptococcus pneumoniae from one. Despite the high percentage of negative cultures, the clinical characteristics and pattern of occurrence of conjunctivitis in Navy recruits suggest that it is caused by an infectious agent or agents.