Australian doctors report an increase in the number of cases of a disease known as “Christmas Eye“, or “Christmas eye” disease in free translation. The health problem is characterized by the change in the tone of the eyes, which take on a greenish appearance, and by symptoms such as discomfort and intense pain in the eye area.
The condition, also called “Albury-Wodonga syndrome” or “reaper’s keratitis”, is associated with acute corneal ulceration. The syndrome is caused by contact with secretions from a tiny species of beetle called orthoporus.
The seasonal disease is geographically limited to Australia, specifically the Southwest region of New South Wales and the Northeast region of Victoria, according to an article published in the Open Ophthalmology Journal.
The health problem was first described in the 1970s. The name of the disease is associated with the most common period of the year for the appearance of cases, in the summer period in the southern hemisphere, between mid-December and February.
