Zika infects the eyes of adult mice

(Cell Press) Mouse models of Zika infection in adults confirm that the virus can infect the eye, resulting in uveitis and conjunctivitis -- a symptom observed in 10 percent -15 percent of human patients. Furthermore, viral RNA was detected in rodents' tears after the virus had been cleared, raising the question of whether Zika continues to replicate in the gland where tears are produced, or the cornea, outside the reach of the immune system. The research appears Sept. 6 in Cell Reports.
Source: EurekAlert! - Infectious and Emerging Diseases - Category: Infectious Diseases Source Type: news