Harry Reid Claims the Zika Virus Causes Blindness

By: Cheyenne Young

On September 7th, 2016, on the senate floor, senate minority leader, Harry Reid made a statement about the dangers of the Zika virus that seems to be gaining momentum throughout the country.  Senator Reid claimed that Zika "effects everyone" not just pregnant women.  He is quoted saying:

"One of America’s pronounced scientists today said that now Zika affects everybody. Zika is now infecting eyes – the virus goes in people’s eyes and leads to vision impairment and blindness. So it’s not just women of child-bearing age. It is going to affect a lot of people."

Senator Reid then reradiated this statement a day later at a news conference saying, "Yesterday we learned that scientists have found that the Zika virus goes into people’s eyes causing blindness and a lot of visual impairment."

Harry Reid made these claims and says he has scientific proof to back him up. So the question begs to be asked, does the Zika virus cause blindness? Are more than just pregnant women affected?

The Zika virus is spread when a mosquito of the Aedes species when they bite other organisms in their quest for blood. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, a pregnant women can spread the virus to the fetus which can cause some serious birth defects.  Most people who contract the virus will not show any outward symptoms. If any symptoms are shown they will be very mild. Blood and urine tests can positively identify the virus. Since first discovered as a danger to pregnant women and fetuses, the US has began training public health agencies in the danger of this epidemic should it occur. Though there have been fewer cases on US soil then in Brazil the government wants to get ahead of it before it does become a common concern in the United States. In data gathered only one in five people will exhibit any symptoms if the virus is contracted. None of the symptoms listed under the CDC website mention anything about perpetual blindness.

In Brazil a study was conducted  to see that if babies what were affected by the virus, through their mothers, would eventually have developed blindness. While there was a chance the babies could be affected in this manner there was no indication that a full grown adult could lose their sight. This suggests that while Senator Reid's statement could be true for children born under the effect of the Zika virus not everyone will be effected by this.

The World Health Organization states that of 67 countries have been effected and the number keeps on climbing. The list of symptoms include joint pain and inflammation of the underside of the eyes along with mild fever and head and muscle ache's. Nothing so severer as blindness was mentioned. WHO suggested to safeguard yourself form the possibility of Zika by cover exposed body parts that mosquito's could easily come in contact with and using insect repellant whenever outdoors.

In Utah Zika still is a top concern even in the winter months. Amy Nance is a program manager of the Utah Birth Defect Network says that she will be continuing testing people as it is still a concern.  While there have not been a substance amount of case's in Utah it is a concern for officials. Amy and her team keep the health of the babies born to Zika infected in their radar for a year after their birth because of the health risk.  

Harry Reid's claim that Zika "effects everyone" is actually not entirely true.  It can cause blindness in babies born under the effects of the virus through their mothers but the symptoms do not extend to full grown adults who might contract the virus.  His claims are unfounded, and uneducated.