Seafood Virus Linked to Chronic Eye Disease in Humans

A virus that usually infects marine animals, such as shrimp and fish, has been found to cause chronic eye disease in humans, according to a study published in *Nature Microbiology*. In recent years, cases of persistent ocular hypertension viral anterior uveitis (POH-VAU) in China have been rising without a clear explanation. This condition is marked by severely elevated eye pressure and inflammation.

Researchers suspected covert mortality nodavirus (CMNV) because patients consistently tested negative for common eye viruses like herpes or shingles. Previous studies had detected unknown virus particles in eye tissue that resembled CMNV in size and shape.

To investigate, scientists recruited 70 patients diagnosed with POH-VAU between January 2022 and April 2025. Using electron microscopy, they observed virus particles about 25 nanometers in size in eye tissue removed during surgery. No similar particles were found in healthy controls. A gold-labeled antibody specific to CMNV confirmed the virus’s identity, and genetic sequencing showed a 98.96% match with the virus found in aquatic animals.

Patient interviews revealed that nearly three-quarters had either handled raw seafood without gloves or consumed raw aquatic animals. Cell culture experiments and infection of mice with CMNV produced the same eye disease symptoms, confirming the virus’s role in causing POH-VAU.

This is the first study linking a virus from aquatic animals to a specific human eye disease. A global survey showed CMNV in 49 species, including crabs and mollusks, across Asia, Africa, Europe, Antarctica, and the Americas, indicating the potential for wider risk.

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