Pharmacist explains truth behind ‘mystery illness’ surging across UK as unusual eye symptom revealed

Worrying reports have been circulating about an 'untreatable mystery virus' that's said to be spreading across the globe - but there's actually less cause for alarm than you might think.

We already have the new 'super-flu' strain to content with, as well as your usual winter colds and illnesses, so another bug is the last thing we need right now.

According to The Evening Standard, health experts are on 'high alert' when it comes to this virus, which has an 'unusual resilience and rapid spread'.

So what exactly is it? Well, lead prescribing Pharmacist at Chemist4U, Ian Budd has shared all, including what this mysterious bug is called and why everyone is talking about it.

The expert told GB News: "What we're seeing in the news, often called a 'mystery virus' or a fast-spreading throat/respiratory bug, lines up with what clinicians and public health bodies are seeing: adenovirus."

As per Cleveland Clinic, adenovirus is the name for a group of viruses that can cause mild to severe infection throughout your body.

The illness isn't that much of a mystery after all (Getty Stock Image)

Adenovirus infections most commonly affect your respiratory system and they can cause symptoms similar to the common cold or flu, with most infections being mild mild and only requiring symptom relief for treatment.

Researchers have identified about 50 types of adenoviruses that can infect humans - they've been around for ages and despite the mass panic, they're actually nothing new.

GB News reports that they're simply showing up more frequently this winter alongside other seasonal bugs.

Budd told the publication that 'immunity in the community may be lower, leading to people becoming more susceptible'.

Adenoviruses have very similar symptoms to the cold and flu so it can be difficult to know what you're dealing with - but there a few key differences to keep in mind.

The common symptoms associated with adenovirus are:

• Cough
• Fever
• Runny nose
• Sore throat (pharyngitis)
• Pink eye (conjunctivitis)
• Ear infection (otitis media)
• Swollen lymph nodes
• Chest cold (bronchitis)
• Pneumonia

As you may have noticed, the main one that's not synonymous with the flu is conjunctivitis, also known as pink eye.

The NHS outlines that conjunctivitis usually affects both eyes and makes them red, burn or feel gritty, produce pus that sticks to lashes, itch and water.

One of the biggest red flag symptoms is conjunctivitis, also known as pink eye (Getty Stock Image)

Adenovirus symptoms also appear to last a bit longer than those of a typical cold would, but it usually causes less severe body aches and fatigue than the flu does.

Another quite important difference is that there is no vaccine available for adenovirus, unlike the flu jab.

This has prompted the illness to be described as 'untreatable,' but this simply just means you have to tough it out with lots of rest, water, and over-the-counter meds.

According to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, less common adenovirus symptoms include bladder inflammation or infection and neurologic diseases (conditions that affect the brain and spinal cord).

It can spread through close personal contact, such as shaking hands, or the air, by coughing and sneezing, or touching an object or surface with adenoviruses on it, and then touching your mouth, nose, or eyes before washing your hands.

It can also be caught via an infected person's stool (e.g., during nappy changing) or through water, such as swimming pools without adequate chlorine or lakes, but this is less common.