Although Zika virus has not been identified in Saipan, it may be only a matter of time. We do have the mosquito, and recent reports have shown the virus in the western Pacific. Recently, a study in Brazil showed that 10 of 29 infants who had been infected with Zika virus showed signs of severe eye damage. In this day and age of international travel, infections in one part of the world can quickly and quietly be introduced into new areas. The doctors at Marianas Eye Institute continue to be alert to the possibility of Zika virus entering the CNMI.
