Alterations in visual acuity and visual development in infants 1-24 months old either exposed to or infected by Zika virus during gestation, with and without microcephaly

Abstract

Purpose: To evaluate visual acuity and visual acuity development in children from the state of São Paulo, Brazil, who were exposed to the Zika virus (ZIKV) gestationally.

Methods: Children who had been exposed to ZIKV during gestation and age-matched control subjects received visual acuity and funduscopic examination. ZIKV exposure was confirmed by maternal quantitative polymerase chain reaction testing or serology assay. The ZIKV group was divided into two subgroups: exposed (ZE), with only the mother having confirmed ZIKV infection, and infected (ZI), with confirmed infection. Visual acuity development was compared with prior norms and quantified by measuring visual acuity correlation with age.

Results: A total of 110 children were included: 47 who had been exposed to ZIKV (ZE, 23; ZI, 24) and 63 controls. Abnormal visual acuity was found in 5 of 24 ZI children. Of the 4 children with microcephaly, only 2 had visual acuity loss (only 1 also had abnormal funduscopic findings). There was significant correlation between age and visual acuity in both the control group (R² = 0.8; P < 0.0000) and the ZE subgroup (R² = 0.6; P < 0.0000). However, visual acuity did not correlate with age in the ZI subgroup (R² = 0.04; P = 0.38). Furthermore, the increment in octaves/month was much lower in the ZI subgroup.

Conclusions: Our data indicate that visual acuity losses only occur in infants who suffered gestational-infection, not simply exposure. Lack of correlation between age and visual acuity in the ZI subgroup suggests a slowing of visual development even in the absence of microcephaly. This result may have broad implications for the deleterious effects of ZIKV on the central nervous system.