Recent ocular examinations of three infants born to Zika-infected mothers in Brazil suggest that the virus' potential impact on the vision of infants can be severe, perhaps resulting in blindness. The recent observations were reported upon in the journal Ophthalmology.
During the observation, researchers detected a variety of ocular defects in the three infants born with microcephaly. The defects included several retinal defects, scattered retinal hemorrhages and atrophic lesions. The study's authors conclude that the potential ocular risks to babies born with microcephaly be expanded and screening guidelines be defined to identify which children would benefit from newborn screening in affected regions.
On Monday, the CDC announced that two Zika virus infection surveillance systems are monitoring 157 pregnant women in the states and 122 pregnant women in U.S. territories with laboratory evidence of Zika infection.
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