Researchers in St. Louis have found that Zika virus can live in eyes, leading to the possibility that tears could help spread infection.
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“Mounting evidence has shown that sexual transmission of Zika virus is possible and more common than previously assumed”, the World Health Organization said in new guidelines.
Aedes aegypti, the vector for the dengue and Zika viruses.
The vast majority of people infected with Zika experience no symptoms or mild ones, such as a fever and a rash. The state has tallied only 27 cases of Zika, all travel-related, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The study said the eyes of the mice also might be used to test anti-Zika drugs.
The species of mosquito has been found in IN for many years, but this year the State Department of Health is keeping a closer eye on the bug after Zika concerns have spread across the country and world.
Though the researchers don’t exactly know how the virus can travel from the blood to the eyes, the new findings suggest why some infected adults suffer from conjunctivitis (redness and itchiness of the eye) and in some cases, an eye infection called uveitis, an eye infection which can lead to loss of vision. Nearly one month after infection, the researchers still found genetic material from Zika in the tears of the infected mice.
When the researchers move on to human subjects, they want to specifically determine if the live virus can persist in the cornea or other parts of the eye as that can have implications on corneal transplants.
Scientific studies found fragments of Zika genes in the tears of lab mice, which indicate a new route to the body’s infection.
There have been no reported cases of individuals infected by mosquitoes in Canada.
His team is working with clinicians in Latin America, Puerto Rico and Florida who are treating Zika patients to get samples of human tears for testing.
The United Nations health agency reiterated that mosquito bites are still the primary means of infection with the virus.
The Zika virus, which is usually mosquito-borne but may also be sexually transmitted, doesn’t pose a significant health threat to most people.
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The CDC also is advising pregnant women not to travel to an area where active Zika transmission is ongoing, and to use insect repellent and wear long trousers and long-sleeved shirts if they are in those areas. “You need to minimize contact with body fluids”.
