Zika Virus in the Eye

Scientists identify Zika virus in clinical samples of conjunctival fluid.

Written byBen Andrew Henry
| 1 min read

Register for free to listen to this article
Listen with Speechify
0:00
1:00
Share

PIXABAY, TOBIAS DAHLBERG

Zika virus can infect the eye, researchers report in a paper published today (September 15) in JAMA Opthalmology. Previous reports have linked Zika infection to severe eye disease, and an unresolved case recently raised the possibility that bodily fluids such as tears could be a means of transmission.

“Here we have some evidence when the adult is infected, it would appear that highly specialized neural tissue is infected,” William Schaffner, an infectious disease expert at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, who was not associated with the study, told ABC News.

Researchers at the Guangdong Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention in China tested the conjunctival fluid of six patients who were infected with Zika while traveling in Venezuela, and detected the presence of viral ...

Interested in reading more?

Become a Member of

The Scientist Logo
Receive full access to more than 35 years of archives, as well as TS Digest, digital editions of The Scientist, feature stories, and much more!
Already a member? Login Here

Related Topics

Meet the Author

Share
December digest cover image of a wooden sculpture comprised of multiple wooden neurons that form a seahorse.
December 2025, Issue 1

Wooden Neurons: An Artistic Vision of the Brain

A neurobiologist, who loves the morphology of cells, turns these shapes into works of art made from wood.

View this Issue
Stacks of cell culture dishes, plates, and flasks with pink cell culture medium on a white background.

Driving Innovation with Cell Culture Essentials

Merck
Stacks of cell culture dishes, plates, and flasks with pink cell culture medium on a white background.

Driving Innovation with Cell Culture Essentials

MilliporeSigma purple logo
Abstract wireframe sphere with colorful dots and connecting lines representing the complex cellular and molecular interactions within the tumor microenvironment.

Exploring the Inflammatory Tumor Microenvironment 

Cellecta logo
An image of a DNA sequencing spectrum with a radial blur filter applied.

A Comprehensive Guide to Next-Generation Sequencing

Integra Logo

Products

brandtech logo

BRANDTECH® Scientific Announces Strategic Partnership with Copia Scientific to Strengthen Sales and Service of the BRAND® Liquid Handling Station (LHS) 

Top Innovations 2026 Contest Image

Enter Our 2026 Top Innovations Contest

Biotium Logo

Biotium Expands Tyramide Signal Amplification Portfolio with Brighter and More Stable Dyes for Enhanced Spatial Imaging

Labvantage Logo

LabVantage Solutions Awarded $22.3 Million U.S Customs and Border Protection Contract to Deliver Next-Generation Forensic LIMS