A link has been found between exposure to the Zika virus during pregnancy and glaucoma in infants, according to researchers at the Yale School of Public Health.
Scientists identified a three-month-old boy exposed to the virus who showed no signs of glaucoma at the time of birth, yet went on to develop swelling, pain, and tearing in the right eye which was later diagnosed as glaucoma.
Professor at the Yale School of Public Health Icksang Ko said: ‘We identified the first case where Zika virus appears to have affected the development of the anterior chamber or front portion of the eye during gestation and caused glaucoma after birth.’
The virus, which is transmitted through infected mosquitoes, has been proved to cause birth defects to the central nervous system, but until now there had been no evidence of damage to the eyes.
Additional research is needed to determine if glaucoma in infants with Zika is caused by indirect or direct exposure to the virus, either during pregnancy or after birth.
