Zika virus can be detected in eye’s conjunctival fluid

Scientists have examined whether Zika virus (ZIKV) could be detected from conjunctival swab samples of laboratory-confirmed ZIKV cases. The clinical symptoms of ZIKV infection are mostly a mild and self-limited rash, joint pain, and conjunctivitis (also known as pink eye). More than 80 percent of ZIKV infections are asymptomatic. Severe eye damage in infants with microcephaly was associated with ZIKV infection, say authors, however, it has not been clear whether the eye lesions are the result of microcephaly or directly ZIKV infection.