VIRUSES AND VIRUS DISEASES OF EYE

Abstract

The eye is subject to major or minor involvement in many of the known virus diseases. Certain viruses, although affecting other parts of the body, have their most important localizations in the eye, e. g., inclusion blennorrhea, herpes simplex and herpes zoster viruses. Others, such as the viruses of variola, vaccinia and lymphogranuloma venereum, only rarely affect the eye but when they do may cause serious lesions. A large number of viruses have only occasional and minor ocular localizations ; among these are the viruses of psittacosis, dengue fever, foot and mouth disease, rabies, lymphocytic choriomeningitis and canine distemper. It is noteworthy that trachoma virus is the only virus so far known which affects the eye alone. Of the large number of ocular diseases whose etiologic basis has not yet been determined, some may well prove to be caused by viruses. As indicated graphically in figure 1, the viruses localizing in