Zika Virus Can Spread Through Sweat And Tears, Experts Investigate

Zika virus has been rampant lately. Doctors cannot determine yet how the virus can spread, except for the fact that it may be acquired from a mosquito bite or blood transfusion with Zika infected blood. Currently, a report shows that one man got the virus through the tears or sweat from his Zika infected father. Experts investigate the possibility.

The report shows that a 38-year-old man from Utah became Zika positive.  The doctors investigate much deeper because he had not traveled to any Zika related area. Experts have checked both mosquito bite and sexual transmission, but the tests came out negative.

The closest connection would be was the man was caring for his Zika-positive father. His dad got the disease after a 3 week trip to Mexico. Reports tell that he consumed soft boiled turtle eggs and went fishing but the research did not identify if the virus came from there. Upon further investigation, the result shows that he was bitten by a Zika infected mosquito.

The son got sick after tending for his 73-year-old father who underwent prostate cancer treatment but soon passed away due to organ failure. He son got ill after a week's time. The experts got confuse on how the son had the virus.

Upon investigating, the result led them to a terrifying possibility that the virus could possibly spread from his dying father's tears or sweat. The son admitted to the doctors that he wiped his father's tears without using any gloves, as reported by CBC.com.

The researchers suspected that the father has a high level of virus, because of the past radiation treatment which allowed the virus to replicate faster. They found that the dying father has 100,000 times higher level of Zika virus in his blood. 

Zika virus spreading through sweat and tears had the scientists astonished because no reports of which has been filed. Experts said if this is possible it is very alarming. The virus can be easily spread.

Chief of the infectious diseases division at University of Utah Health Care, Dr. Sankar Swaminathan said that they believe that the transmission happened primarily because the father has a severe high case of Zika virus. He added that "There's no risk of shaking hands with a person who has a typical Zika infection." Thus, people visiting Zika-infected area and countries don't need to wear gloves.

Their research was published New England Journal of Medicine, according to New York Mag.