Zika virus can cause serious neurological disorders

The Zika virus, which is raging in Latin America and has been linked to severe birth defects, can also cause a dangerous neurological disorder.

This is the conclusion made by scientists in a new study published in the medical journal, The Lancet (UK), issue dated March 1.

In the above study, scientists led by Professor Arnaud Fontanet, from the Pasteur Institute (Paris), conducted research on the role of Zika virus in the outbreak of Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) in France during the period 2013-2014.

Tests on GBS patients have shown that the Zika virus is the culprit. Scientists have identified 42 cases of GBS as a result of the previous Zika outbreak that affected 200,000 people.

Based on evidence such as a 20-fold increase in GBS cases during the Zika outbreak, and 90% of patients who showed signs of weakness before being infected with Zika virus, scientists believe that the virus is the cause of the sudden increase in GBS cases.

GBS is a rare syndrome in which the body's immune system attacks part of the nervous system that controls muscles, causing weakness in the muscles in the limbs. It can also be caused by bacterial infections or by viruses such as typhus and dengue.

In developed countries, the mortality rate from GBS is 5% and 5% may have permanent disability. In addition, more than 25% of patients with GBS require special monitoring.

Medical professionals warn that medical facilities, especially in suburban areas, could be overwhelmed if GBS breaks out in South America, where there are currently 1.5 million cases of Zika virus in Brazil and tens of thousands in neighboring countries.

Professor Fontanet said that areas at risk of this virus infection need to quickly increase facilities for specialized care services. He affirmed that there will be patients infected with Zika with GBS syndrome and about 30% of GBS cases need specialized care.

Baby Jose Wesley, who has microcephaly because his mother was infected with the Zika virus during pregnancy, bathes at home in Poco Fundo, Pernambuco state, Brazil - Photo: AP

Zika is primarily transmitted by the Aedes mosquito, but recent reports suggest it can also be transmitted sexually. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the Zika virus has spread rapidly in nearly 50 countries worldwide.

Patients infected with the virus often have flu-like symptoms, but may not have any symptoms at all. However, the virus's link to microcephaly, a birth defect characterized by underdeveloped brains and skulls, remains controversial among medical professionals around the world.

According to the latest report, in Brazil the number of cases of newborns with microcephaly from October 2015 to present is 583 cases, 4 times the average number of cases per year in previous years./.

According to VNA/VIETNAM+