The Mystery Behind an Eye That Changed Color
May 8, 2015 8:20 AM Subscribe
Months after Dr. Ian Crozier thought he had recovered from Ebola, he was stunned to find himself developing intense eye pain and fading vision. The inside of his left eye was still occupied territory, full of live, replicating virus. And one morning during this siege, he looked in the mirror and saw that his iris had changed from blue to green.
*does the AAAAAAAA GET IT OFF OF MY FACE dance*
posted by nebulawindphone at 8:22 AM on May 8, 2015 [5 favorites]
posted by nebulawindphone at 8:22 AM on May 8, 2015 [5 favorites]
Man biology is weird.
posted by Elementary Penguin at 8:27 AM on May 8, 2015 [5 favorites]
posted by Elementary Penguin at 8:27 AM on May 8, 2015 [5 favorites]
The pressure inside his eye, which had been dangerously elevated, began to drop — too much. The eye became doughy to the touch, as if it were turning to mush.
AAAA kjbsdf ;o8n u. Shit.
posted by dirtdirt at 8:30 AM on May 8, 2015 [32 favorites]
AAAA kjbsdf ;o8n u. Shit.
posted by dirtdirt at 8:30 AM on May 8, 2015 [32 favorites]
Ok, I just learned about immune privilege from this, which is radically weird and cool, but also a bit disturbing. Are there other pathogens that are known to be eliminated by the body and then just go hang out in the eye (or the testes, gulp) for a while? I know that herpes does this with the nervous system, but never thought it happened elsewhere.
posted by Hactar at 8:40 AM on May 8, 2015
posted by Hactar at 8:40 AM on May 8, 2015
Here's a really cool slow-mo video showing how gooey regular old eyes actually are.
It's hilarious that you imagine people might click on that link.
nope nope nope
posted by craven_morhead at 8:59 AM on May 8, 2015 [91 favorites]
It's hilarious that you imagine people might click on that link.
nope nope nope
posted by craven_morhead at 8:59 AM on May 8, 2015 [91 favorites]
WTF NIGHTMARESSSSSS
Ok, but on a serious tip this eye-lurking issue with viruses plays pretty prominently in Mira Grant's Newsflesh series.
posted by Unicorn on the cob at 9:01 AM on May 8, 2015 [5 favorites]
Ok, but on a serious tip this eye-lurking issue with viruses plays pretty prominently in Mira Grant's Newsflesh series.
posted by Unicorn on the cob at 9:01 AM on May 8, 2015 [5 favorites]
So my uveitis was caused by my immune system attacking my eye, and I'm totally not sure how that jibes with the whole immune privilege thing. Bodies are very strange.
posted by ArbitraryAndCapricious at 9:03 AM on May 8, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by ArbitraryAndCapricious at 9:03 AM on May 8, 2015 [1 favorite]
Damn. Trader Joe's Doctors Without Borders Eyeball Stuffed Jalapeno Poppers are going to be tough to give up as we head into BBQ season.
posted by srboisvert at 9:12 AM on May 8, 2015 [6 favorites]
posted by srboisvert at 9:12 AM on May 8, 2015 [6 favorites]
If I learned that I had Ebola just in one eye, I would probably need somebody to talk me down from doing the same thing that any Campbellian hero would do -- i.e. ripping it out by the roots and replacing it with a cool weaponized fake one.
posted by Strange Interlude at 9:20 AM on May 8, 2015 [8 favorites]
posted by Strange Interlude at 9:20 AM on May 8, 2015 [8 favorites]
How does this article not contain the string 'eye-bola'?
posted by spaceman_spiff at 9:20 AM on May 8, 2015 [22 favorites]
posted by spaceman_spiff at 9:20 AM on May 8, 2015 [22 favorites]
Starts coding up a ebola eye instagram filter.
posted by srboisvert at 9:24 AM on May 8, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by srboisvert at 9:24 AM on May 8, 2015 [2 favorites]
♪ When virus eyes are smiling… ♫
posted by scamper at 9:37 AM on May 8, 2015 [24 favorites]
posted by scamper at 9:37 AM on May 8, 2015 [24 favorites]
It's hilarious that you imagine people might click on that link.
nope nope nope
I mentioned to my very cool optometrist once that an actual eyeball must be counterintuitively large, as what we think of as the eye is only what appears through a relatively small opening. He told me that I was right, that of course he had had to work with some free-range eyeballs in medical school, then added thoughtfully that they have a very pleasing heft. Quoth he, "When you hold one in the palm of your hand, you instinctively give it a little lift or two to gauge the weight, and you want to look around for somewhere to throw it overhand."
posted by ricochet biscuit at 10:08 AM on May 8, 2015 [46 favorites]
nope nope nope
I mentioned to my very cool optometrist once that an actual eyeball must be counterintuitively large, as what we think of as the eye is only what appears through a relatively small opening. He told me that I was right, that of course he had had to work with some free-range eyeballs in medical school, then added thoughtfully that they have a very pleasing heft. Quoth he, "When you hold one in the palm of your hand, you instinctively give it a little lift or two to gauge the weight, and you want to look around for somewhere to throw it overhand."
posted by ricochet biscuit at 10:08 AM on May 8, 2015 [46 favorites]
Mmmmmmmaybe Prometheus was on to something?
tried to find a clip on Youtube, all I ran across were Loa Loa eye worm videos which oh hell no
posted by Existential Dread at 10:14 AM on May 8, 2015 [1 favorite]
tried to find a clip on Youtube, all I ran across were Loa Loa eye worm videos which oh hell no
posted by Existential Dread at 10:14 AM on May 8, 2015 [1 favorite]
Somewhere, a cosmetic surgeon is trying to figure out how to "safely" infect someone's eye with a virus in order to permanently change the color...
posted by ghostiger at 10:17 AM on May 8, 2015 [18 favorites]
posted by ghostiger at 10:17 AM on May 8, 2015 [18 favorites]
OK this is a derail and I have never actually told anyone this before, but once a long time ago, and it was so startling I made notes about it at the time, I was introduced to a woman, and when she looked at me her eyes flashed brilliant green. I shit you not. What the hell was that?
posted by Mei's lost sandal at 10:19 AM on May 8, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by Mei's lost sandal at 10:19 AM on May 8, 2015 [3 favorites]
Was she a heroine in a romance novel? 'Cause you're gonna get that, with your heroines.
posted by Countess Elena at 10:24 AM on May 8, 2015 [38 favorites]
posted by Countess Elena at 10:24 AM on May 8, 2015 [38 favorites]
Although the virus may persist in semen for months
Cumbola
posted by colie at 10:49 AM on May 8, 2015 [2 favorites]
Cumbola
posted by colie at 10:49 AM on May 8, 2015 [2 favorites]
Mei - was it Miao Yin or Gracie Law?
posted by mogget at 11:17 AM on May 8, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by mogget at 11:17 AM on May 8, 2015 [1 favorite]
Oh great, now everyone is going to call me Ebola-Eye.
posted by grumpybear69 at 11:26 AM on May 8, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by grumpybear69 at 11:26 AM on May 8, 2015 [1 favorite]
Although the virus may persist in semen for months
Ah, that explains why my balls are blue.
posted by maxsparber at 11:44 AM on May 8, 2015
Ah, that explains why my balls are blue.
posted by maxsparber at 11:44 AM on May 8, 2015
The EYE becomes the EGG!
posted by oceanjesse at 11:46 AM on May 8, 2015
posted by oceanjesse at 11:46 AM on May 8, 2015
I think this one of the more important discoveries about ebola. If it hides in both the reproductive system, but especially shelterd in the central nervous system, that opens theoretical vectors.
I wonder if looking for antibodies in the general population, they might test CNS fluid for the presence of ebola? Then you wonder if it is passed ubiquitously in utero, if many more people are immune than generally thought?
The eyes of corpses, road kill, and tossed out as unusable bush meat parts, these are delacasies to carrion lovers, birds, rodents, etc.
posted by Oyéah at 11:58 AM on May 8, 2015 [3 favorites]
I wonder if looking for antibodies in the general population, they might test CNS fluid for the presence of ebola? Then you wonder if it is passed ubiquitously in utero, if many more people are immune than generally thought?
The eyes of corpses, road kill, and tossed out as unusable bush meat parts, these are delacasies to carrion lovers, birds, rodents, etc.
posted by Oyéah at 11:58 AM on May 8, 2015 [3 favorites]
The thing I don't get is that they said the eye is immune-privileged which let the ebola survive there, then at the end of the article they say that it was problem his immune system strengthening that got rid of it. Did I miss something?
posted by ignignokt at 12:22 PM on May 8, 2015
posted by ignignokt at 12:22 PM on May 8, 2015
A girl I used to hang out with a lot, as a teenager, had unremarkable light brown eyes that turned a startling green when she was interacting with guys she was crushing on. I saw it happen several times. It was like an eye version of blushing. We were nerd girls in strict families, with no love lives to speak of, so it didn't happen often, but when it did it was remarkable.
I haven't seen her in decades, but now that I have grown older and had a variety of romantic experiences, I wonder just how much trouble this trait turned out to cause for her, over the years?
posted by elizilla at 12:29 PM on May 8, 2015 [5 favorites]
I haven't seen her in decades, but now that I have grown older and had a variety of romantic experiences, I wonder just how much trouble this trait turned out to cause for her, over the years?
posted by elizilla at 12:29 PM on May 8, 2015 [5 favorites]
Mei's lost sandal, I've seen the shiny cat eyes thing in people who've had their lens replaced after cataract surgery. It's pretty cool.
posted by rhamphorhynchus at 12:32 PM on May 8, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by rhamphorhynchus at 12:32 PM on May 8, 2015 [2 favorites]
free-range eyeballs
...is the name of my new band.
posted by Greg_Ace at 12:38 PM on May 8, 2015 [1 favorite]
...is the name of my new band.
posted by Greg_Ace at 12:38 PM on May 8, 2015 [1 favorite]
Mei's lost sandal, I've seen the shiny cat eyes thing in people who've had their lens replaced after cataract surgery. It's pretty cool.
Are you sure they weren't replicants?
posted by ricochet biscuit at 12:38 PM on May 8, 2015 [3 favorites]
Are you sure they weren't replicants?
posted by ricochet biscuit at 12:38 PM on May 8, 2015 [3 favorites]
elizilla, thanks for that. It is reassuring to hear it is a thing that actually happens and not something I imagined. I've had a hard time believing it was real.
posted by Mei's lost sandal at 12:39 PM on May 8, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Mei's lost sandal at 12:39 PM on May 8, 2015 [1 favorite]
Paging Juan Carlos Fresnadillo to the red virus phone, Juan Carlos Fresnadillo to the red virus phone please.
posted by longdaysjourney at 1:11 PM on May 8, 2015
posted by longdaysjourney at 1:11 PM on May 8, 2015
Quoth he, "When you hold one in the palm of your hand, you instinctively give it a little lift or two to gauge the weight, and you want to look around for somewhere to throw it overhand."
Everyone in my office is wondering why I'm suddenly trying to curl up in my chair like a pillbug.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 1:16 PM on May 8, 2015 [5 favorites]
Everyone in my office is wondering why I'm suddenly trying to curl up in my chair like a pillbug.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 1:16 PM on May 8, 2015 [5 favorites]
So you are saying that if I catch Ebola, I might not need tinted contacts anymore? Mark that down in the '+' category!
posted by Nanukthedog at 1:21 PM on May 8, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Nanukthedog at 1:21 PM on May 8, 2015 [1 favorite]
Here's a really cool slow-mo video showing how gooey regular old eyes actually are.
As a public service, I looked at this video.
I do swear on my honor that it is only minimally icky. It is an XTREEEEM CLOSEUP SLOMO of a normal human eye in an uninjured face, and the person is looking right and left. The point is that you can see how the structures of the iris wobble a tiiiiiiny leeeeeeeetle bit, because eyes are goo and biology is gross. But it really is not distressing unless you're very sensitive about eyeball stuff.
Also if you watch it, youtube suggests this other video from the same people wherein Dude drinks about a half gallon of milk and pukes, and they film him puking in the slomo. So that's funny.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 1:51 PM on May 8, 2015 [4 favorites]
As a public service, I looked at this video.
I do swear on my honor that it is only minimally icky. It is an XTREEEEM CLOSEUP SLOMO of a normal human eye in an uninjured face, and the person is looking right and left. The point is that you can see how the structures of the iris wobble a tiiiiiiny leeeeeeeetle bit, because eyes are goo and biology is gross. But it really is not distressing unless you're very sensitive about eyeball stuff.
Also if you watch it, youtube suggests this other video from the same people wherein Dude drinks about a half gallon of milk and pukes, and they film him puking in the slomo. So that's funny.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 1:51 PM on May 8, 2015 [4 favorites]
Ok, but on a serious tip this eye-lurking issue with viruses plays pretty prominently in Mira Grant's Newsflesh series.
Came for a Mira Grant reference, was not disappointed. A++ would reference again.
posted by Justinian at 2:35 PM on May 8, 2015 [2 favorites]
Came for a Mira Grant reference, was not disappointed. A++ would reference again.
posted by Justinian at 2:35 PM on May 8, 2015 [2 favorites]
You say there is Ebola replicating within me?
I believe this spoon over here would be adequate to gouge out my eye.
Thank you.
posted by BlueHorse at 9:31 PM on May 8, 2015 [1 favorite]
I believe this spoon over here would be adequate to gouge out my eye.
Thank you.
posted by BlueHorse at 9:31 PM on May 8, 2015 [1 favorite]
I'm going to assume the color change is the body's way of applying a "please remove" label and as such I will not hesitate should I notice such a change in my own eyes.
posted by Mr.Encyclopedia at 5:10 AM on May 9, 2015
posted by Mr.Encyclopedia at 5:10 AM on May 9, 2015
Sutter Cane wrote it down and it happened.
posted by ostranenie at 6:10 PM on May 10, 2015
posted by ostranenie at 6:10 PM on May 10, 2015
« Older Gene Wolfe: The Reliably Unreliable Author | Life, And Death, Instagram, Unfiltered Newer »
This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments
posted by rtha at 8:22 AM on May 8, 2015 [4 favorites]