The new virus that makes you blind comes from water: the covert mortality nodavirus has made the leap from species

A virus that typically infects marine animals, such as shrimp and fish, has jumped to humans and is causing a chronic eye disease in some people that can lead to vision loss. This is the …

Jack Williams

Written by: Jack Williams

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There is a new virus that comes from water: the covert mortality nodavirus has made the jump to species

A virus that typically infects marine animals, such as shrimp and fish, has jumped to humans and is causing a chronic eye disease in some people that can lead to vision loss. This is the covert mortality nodavirus (Cmnv) linked to a new form of persistent ocular hypertensive viral anterior uveitis (Poh-Vau) according to a study published in the journal Nature Microbiology.

Traces of the pathogen were found in the iris tissues of some patients between January 2022 and April 2025: in the most serious cases the disease presents with a strong increase in intraocular pressure, recurrent inflammation, progressive damage to the eye and, in a small proportion of patients, even irreversible loss of visual function. The authors of the study describe a picture that may resemble glaucoma, but with a distinct viral and inflammatory component. In some patients, the disease required prolonged therapies and, in the most difficult cases, surgical interventions to contain the eye pressure.

In some laboratory tests the virus was able to infect mammalian cells, including human corneal epithelial cells. It is one of the points that makes the study particularly relevant, because it suggests that the jump in species is not just an epidemiological hypothesis but has a concrete biological plausibility.

How is it transmitted and what are the risks

According to the data collected by the researchers, the majority of patients handled fish and shellfish and consumed raw fish products. Among the risk factors highlighted are the presence of wounds on the hands or stings caused by the sharp appendages of crustaceans.

The same authors, however, invite us not to transform these results into a hasty alarm given the still limited number of cases although – we read – “the relationship between exposure to the virus and disease must be interpreted as a very relevant result”. The work insists on one point: the covert mortality nodavirus today appears as a possible new zoonotic risk to be monitored, especially in countries where the consumption and processing of fish products are widespread.

Jack Williams

Jack Williams

Jack Williams established himself as the editor-in-chief of The Vermilion with rigorous journalistic traits and an incessant quest for truth. His career began as an investigative reporter, where he quickly gained a reputation for his in-depth research and insightful articles. Williams takes his role at The Vermilion very seriously. Since he became editor-in-chief, he has set an editorial line based on impartiality, factual accuracy, and context relevance; this has established The Vermilion as a reference for political, economic, and global news. Under his leadership, the media continues its mission of reporting news with accuracy and equanimity, giving a voice to those who are often overlooked by large-scale media. Jack dedicates himself to fulfilling this mandate with passion, rigour, and unwavering determination.

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