One of the most typical causes of red eyes, conjunctivitis strikes people of all ages and socioeconomic backgrounds. The majority of infectious conjunctivitis cases, up to 75% of them, are caused by viral conjunctivitis. The present review was based on the literature survey on the origin, history and preventive measures of viral conjunctivitis (eye flu). According to estimates, conjunctivitis accounts for 1% of primary care physician visits in the United States