Eyes Could Be Reservoir for Zika Virus

Thursday, October 13 2016 | 00 h 00 min | Vision Science

A new study from the Washington University School of Medicine, published in Cell Reports, reveals that Zika virus may persist in a patient’s eyes for some time, and that tears may be a possible route of infection.

Researchers infected mice with Zika virus subdermally, and found that in seven days live virus was located in the eye. It is not yet known how the Zika virus enters the eye; whether it is able to cross the blood-retina barrier or if it travels along the optic nerve.

The body’s immune system is less active in the eye than other parts of the body, which allows some infections to persist there after the live virus has been destroyed elsewhere.

In adults Zika is a mild disease, but in some cases can lead to conjunctivitis or, rarely, uveitis and permanent vision loss. One third of babies infected in utero with Zika develop eye disease.

“We are planning studies in people to find out whether infectious virus persists in the cornea or other compartments of the eye, because that would have implications for corneal transplantation,” said Rajendra S. Apte, MD, PhD, the Paul A. Cibis Distinguished Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, a senior author of the study.

More information: https://medicine.wustl.edu/news/evidence-zika-virus-found-tears/

(Photo credit Robert Boston)