On Aug. 29, Singapore authorities announced they had identified 41 cases of Zika virus infection that were transmitted locally. But thousands of cases have been documented in Latin America and the Caribbean, with Brazil the epicenter of the outbreak. What isn’t yet known is whether or not this Zika material in the eyes can transmit infection, and if it can do so in people, the researchers said.
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President Barack Obama in February asked for $1.9 billion in emergency spending to fight Zika. Democrats have rejected that provision, saying many lower-income women rely on Planned Parenthood for their health-care needs, particularly in Puerto Rico, where Zika infections are becoming widespread.
Heymann (L), Chair of the Emergency Committee, and World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Margaret Chan hold a news conference after the first meeting of the International Health Regulations (IHR) Emergency Committee concerning the Zika virus and.
It added that this is of concern due to the association between the Zika virus infection and adverse pregnancy and fetal outcomes, including microcephaly – a condition in which babies are born with abnormally small heads – neurological complications and Guillain-Barré syndrome.
– the virus remains active in semen longer than had been thought.
It also means that mosquito bites may not be the only source for Zika spreading.
To determine what effect Zika infection has on the eye, the researchers infected adult mice under the skin-similar to the way humans are infected by mosquitoes-and found live virus in the eyes seven days later.
“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, and the study’s other senior author. That finding strengthened the suspected link between infection with the virus and the syndrome, which causes temporary paralysis in its victims. Health officials say that small number makes is very hard for a mosquito to pick up the virus. There’s a high risk that Zika could start circulating in cities like New Orleans or Houston, experts say. “If you know you have virus replicating in the eye, you can just give the drug locally and measure any change in viral replication”.
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The researchers were able to confirm the presence of Zika in the mice’s eyes, however, they are still unsure how the virus traveled there. For now, keep this information in mind to prevent being infected by this deadly disease.
