Health & Medicine
Zika Virus Causes Eye Problems In Infants With Microcephaly
Elaine Hannah
First Posted: May 27, 2016 04:10 AM EDT
The researchers have found out that babies infected with Zika virus have eye problems. In their study, three Brazilian babies with microcephaly had retinal lesions, hemorrhaging and abnormal blood vessel development. This could lead to severe visual impairment.
Science Daily reports that the findings were printed online in Ophthalmology, the journal of the American Academy of Ophthalmology. The study was led by ophthalmology researchers from Brazil and Stanford University.
The researchers assessed the eyes of three infant boys from Northern Brazil in late 2015 with microcephaly. All their mothers had suspected Zika virus infection during their first trimester of pregnancy.
They discovered that the infants had several types of ocular issues that may result in visual impairment if not treated. Among these issues are hemorrhagic retinopathy or the bleeding in the retina and the abnormal vasculature in the retina, this includes signs of missing blood vessels in the retina where the cells may have died. There is also the torpedo maculopathy, which is identified by torpedo-shaped lesions in the macula, the central portion of the retina.
Other ocular issues found in all three babies were signs of pigmentary maculopathy, the lesions that appear as speckles of pigment on the macula. There were also symptoms of chorioretinal atrophy indicated by a darkly pigmented ring.
The authors recommend that babies with microcephaly must be examined by an ophthalmologist. This also complies with the recent screening recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Zika virus is caused by the bite of an infected Aedes species mosquito. Its symptoms are rash, conjunctivitis (red eyes), fever and joint pain. Pregnant women who are infected by Zika virus cause a serious birth defect called microcephaly and other severe fetal brain defects. The country that is most affected by Zika virus is Brazil with almost 1.5 million people, who are infected with the said virus.
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First Posted: May 27, 2016 04:10 AM EDT
The researchers have found out that babies infected with Zika virus have eye problems. In their study, three Brazilian babies with microcephaly had retinal lesions, hemorrhaging and abnormal blood vessel development. This could lead to severe visual impairment.
Science Daily reports that the findings were printed online in Ophthalmology, the journal of the American Academy of Ophthalmology. The study was led by ophthalmology researchers from Brazil and Stanford University.
The researchers assessed the eyes of three infant boys from Northern Brazil in late 2015 with microcephaly. All their mothers had suspected Zika virus infection during their first trimester of pregnancy.
They discovered that the infants had several types of ocular issues that may result in visual impairment if not treated. Among these issues are hemorrhagic retinopathy or the bleeding in the retina and the abnormal vasculature in the retina, this includes signs of missing blood vessels in the retina where the cells may have died. There is also the torpedo maculopathy, which is identified by torpedo-shaped lesions in the macula, the central portion of the retina.
Other ocular issues found in all three babies were signs of pigmentary maculopathy, the lesions that appear as speckles of pigment on the macula. There were also symptoms of chorioretinal atrophy indicated by a darkly pigmented ring.
The authors recommend that babies with microcephaly must be examined by an ophthalmologist. This also complies with the recent screening recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Zika virus is caused by the bite of an infected Aedes species mosquito. Its symptoms are rash, conjunctivitis (red eyes), fever and joint pain. Pregnant women who are infected by Zika virus cause a serious birth defect called microcephaly and other severe fetal brain defects. The country that is most affected by Zika virus is Brazil with almost 1.5 million people, who are infected with the said virus.
See Now: NASA's Juno Spacecraft's Rendezvous With Jupiter's Mammoth Cyclone