It Has Been Demonstrated That The Zika Virus Can Cause Blindness | Mosquito Control Atlanta

February 27, 2017 | Posted In: Mosquito

It Has Been Demonstrated That The Zika Virus Can Cause Blindness | Mosquito Control Atlanta

Researchers from the Wayne University School of Medicine has shown that there exists a link between blindness and the Zika virus. The Zika virus can replicate retinal cells in the eye to multiply, which causes major tissue damage and eventually loss of sight. The researchers used mice as models to demonstrate how this virus attacks retinal cells. Despite the bad news, researches believe that these animal models are sufficient to develop treatments that can prevent tissue damage to the eyes in humans.

The researchers conducting the study have already managed to identify ocular cells that the Zika virus attacks and destroys. The retina contains an enormous amount of cells that are layered at the back of the human eye. These cells send signals to the back of our brains that enable us to visualize images. Once these cells are destroyed there is no hope of restoring vision. Anti-viral molecules that can attack Zika’s presence in the eye are being developed at a rapid pace.

Are there that many people going blind as a result of contracting the Zika virus? Do you think that people who are infected with Zika now will develop blindness or ocular damage?