An emerging human eye disease is associated with aquatic virus zoonotic infection - PubMed
4 hours ago
- #ocular disease
- #aquatic virus
- #zoonotic infection
- A human eye disease known as persistent ocular hypertensive viral anterior uveitis (POH-VAU) has been linked to an aquatic virus called covert mortality nodavirus (CMNV).
- CMNV, which is widespread in farmed and wild aquatic animals globally, was detected in ocular tissues and confirmed through seroconversion in 70 POH-VAU patients.
- Exposure to CMNV, particularly through frequent unprotected handling of aquatic animals and consumption of raw aquatic products, significantly increases the risk of developing POH-VAU, accounting for 71.4% of investigated cases.
- Experimental challenges in mice showed that CMNV infection can lead to elevated intraocular pressure and cause pathological damage to ocular tissues, with the virus also capable of infecting mammalian cells in vitro.
- The study highlights the zoonotic potential of aquatic viruses, driven by climate change and human activities, and underscores CMNV as an emerging health threat associated with this specific ocular disease.