Abstract Ocular tuberculosis (TB) commonly causes severe inflammation and vision loss in TB-endemic countries. The mechanism by which tuberculous infection becomes established in the eye is poorly understood. We used Mycobacterium marinum -infected zebrafish larvae to study the early pathogenesis of ocular TB and found hematogenous bacterial seeding of the eye despite a functional blood retinal barrier. Prototypical early granulomas formed that involved the retinal vasculature and retinal pigment epithelium-choroid complex; characteristic locations for human ocular TB. Peripheral blood monocytes were recruited to the growing granuloma suggesting that the immune privileged nature of the eye is breached by this inflammatory focus. Conflict of interest none disclosed Funding This work was supported in part by a ‘Short-term fellowship’ to SB by Department of Health Research, Government of India.