Researchers detect Zika virus in tears

Zika virus infections are typically confirmed by testing the blood or urine, but researchers have identified another fluid that could be examined.

A new rodent-based study from Washington University in St. Louis has found that Zika's genetic material is detectable in tears because the virus can live in the eyes.

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The team decided to explore a link between the virus and the eye because, as a university press release states, "About a third of all babies infected in utero with Zika show eye disease such as inflammation of the optic nerve, retinal damage or blindness after birth. In adults, Zika can cause conjunctivitis – redness and itchiness of the eyes – and, in rare cases, uveitis."

Uveitis can, in fact, "lead to permanent vision loss."

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For the experiment, "researchers infected adult mice under the skin – similar to the way humans are infected by mosquitoes – and found live virus in the eyes seven days later."

This finding introduces the possibility that infected tears could transmit the virus to others, but it could also indicate a less painful way to test for the disease.