Arthropod Vector-Borne Uveitis in the Developing World

Arthropod vector-borne diseases are among the most important emergent infections. They include a wide variety of bacterial, viral, and parasitic diseases that are transmitted to humans by the bite of mosquito, tick, or other arthropod. Most of them are prevalent in tropical and subtropical areas, but they tend to spread into new regions mainly owing to increasing temperatures worldwide, movement of people, increasing human population densities, wider dispersal of competent vectors, and transportation of goods and animals. Numerous arthropod vector-borne diseases have been associated with uveitis (Table 1). Among them, specific diseases have recently emerged as important causes of uveitis in the developing world. They include rickettsioses, West Nile virus infection, Rift Valley fever, dengue fever, and Chikungunya. In this article, we review the epidemiologic, systemic, and ocular features of these selected arthropod-borne vector diseases relevant to the ophthalmologist.