The EYEBALL LICKING craze that's sweeping Japan and causing a surge in eye infections *. 'Oculolinctus' is performed as expression of intimacy *. It can cause conjunctivitis and even blindness *. One school in Japan became aware of the problem when students started turning up wearing eye patches

Culled from ABC We've all heard about people doing strange things for love,but Japanese students are taking love-induced madness to a whole new level - and putting their health at risk in the process. The latest craze sweeping through Japan is ‘oculolinctus’– eyeball licking as an expression of affection between young lovers. However, it has led to a surgein cases of eye infections and can even cause blindness, doctors have warned.The bizarre fetish, which is also known as ‘worming’, was uncovered by the Japanese website, Naver Matome, whichrevealed that videos of eyeball licking have been posted on YouTube. But eyeball licking has not only taken off in Japan. Elektrika Energias, 29, a student in the U.S. Virgin Islands told The Huffington Post: ‘My boyfriend started licking my eyeballs years ago and I just loved it.‘I'm not with him anymore, but I still like to ask guys to lick my eyeballs. I just love it because it turns me on, like sucking on my toes. It makes me feel all tingly.’ However, the practice is not without its dangers – it can transmit the bacteria which causes conjunctivitis, Medical Dailyreports. If the person doing the eyeballlicking has the herpes virus, that can be passed on as well. Naver Matome discovered that the craze came to the attention of one school in Japan when it was noticed thatup to ten children in each class arrived at lessons wearing eye patches.The school also discovered that a third of its 12-year-oldpupils admitted to engaging in the practice. ‘Nothing good can come of this,’ Dr David Granet, a San Diego ophthalmologist, told The Huffington Post. ‘There are ridges on the tongue that can cause a corneal abrasion. And if a person hasn't washedout their mouth, they might putacid from citrus products or spices into the eye.’ Dr Phillip Rizzuto, from the American Academy of Ophthalmology, added that eyeball licking can cause blindness as the bacteria found in the mouth can damage eye tissue.