Bacterial conjunctivitis more commonly seen in which age group?

• A. Adults
• B. Neonates
• C. Children
• D. Elderly

Answer: (C)

Bacterial conjunctivitis is most commonly seen in children. Young kids spend a lot of time in close contact at school and daycare, and hand-to-eye contact is frequent, which makes transmission of bacteria through ocular secretions easy and rapid. The usual bacterial culprits in this age group—such as Haemophilus influenzae, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and Moraxella catarrhalis—are common in pediatric settings and drive outbreaks. Neonatal conjunctivitis is a distinct condition that occurs in newborns due to pathogens transmitted at birth, so it doesn’t reflect the general pediatric pattern. Adults and the elderly can get conjunctivitis, but the overall incidence is lower in those groups compared with children.