Zika virus has been linked to birth defects in newborn babies. Now, experts fear that the mosquito-borne virus may be giving eye damage to infants as well.
Researchers from Stanford University want babies affected by Zika to undergo eye checkups after they found abnormal bleeding, blood vessel growth and torpedo-shaped lesions in the eyes of three baby boys, BBC reported. The infants all caught Zika from their mothers, who have been infected with the virus while they're pregnant.
The abnormalities were located at the light-sensitive layer of tissue at the retina, which can be found at the back of the eye. Dr. Darius Moshfeghi, one of the researchers, said some of the eye damages can be treated, but others can cause irreparable vision damage to the babies.
Aside from eye problems, the three babies also have microcephaly, a congenital condition where infants have abnormally small heads and incomplete brain development. Another recent research published in the JAMA Network found eye problems among babies affected by Zika.
Microcephaly Risk
Women who acquired Zika during the first trimester of their pregnancy are 13 percent more likely to give birth to babies with microcephaly, according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health said there's a negligible link between Zika and microcephaly for women who got the virus during their second and third trimesters.
Zika, which originated from Brazil, has already reached more than 40 countries including the Americas and the African archipelago of Cape Verde. In the U.S., southern states are more vulnerable to the virus because of their warm and humid climate. Those states also have some impoverished areas, where American homes do not have air conditioning and window screens that protect them from mosquitoes carrying Zika, the Washington Post wrote.
Mosquitoes that carry the virus thrive in regions with warm climates. Uncovered stagnant water serves as these insects' breeding grounds.
Americans Tested Positive For Zika
As of May 18, the CDC said there are already 544 Zika virus infections in the continental U.S., Miami Herald reported. According to NPR, 157 pregnant women in U.S. states and the District of Columbia are being monitored, and only 49 percent of them are displaying symptoms of Zika.
The most common symptoms of Zika are fever, rashes, joint pain, headache, muscle pain and conjunctivitis, or red eyes. Some people infected with the virus usually recover quickly and do not require hospitalization. This is why many individuals do not realize that they had Zika.
