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More evidence of Zika, GBS link found in Puerto Rico
Filed Under:
French Polynesia; Zika
Stephanie Soucheray | News Reporter | CIDRAP News
| Oct 17, 2017
A research letter published in the latest Journal of the American Medical Association provides more compelling evidence of a correlation between Zika infection and the subsequent development of Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS), a rare complication that can cause muscle weakness and sometime paralysis.
Analysis identified three risk factors
This small, case-control study based in Puerto Rico enrolled 47 cases prospectively to quickly capture specimens at the first sign of neurological illness.
Potential case-patients were reported to public health authorities from nine reference hospitals throughout Puerto Rico with a clinical suspicion of GBS and neurologic illness onset between April and December 2016. Case-patients were enrolled within 1 month of reporting neurological symptoms, and were matched at a rate of 1:2 with controls based on age and location.
Both cases and controls were given a questionnaire on demographics, behaviors, exposures, and medical history, including acute illness within the previous 2 month. Serum, urine, and saliva specimens were collected. The cases and controls were also tested for Zika virus.
Three GBS risk factors were identified: acute illness in the previous 2 months, laboratory evidence of Zika virus infection, and acute Zika virus infection confirmed by RT-PCR (reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction) testing.
"The latter finding adds to growing evidence of a causal association between Zika virus and GBS," the authors wrote.
Study echoes finding from French Polynesia
Though the study was small, the authors said it echoes previous findings from the 2013 Zika outbreak in French Polynesia, where GBS followed Zika infection in adults.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there is a strong association between Zika virus and GBS, but only a small percentage of people infected with Zika will develop GBS.
"The pathophysiology of Zika virus infection and risk factors for developing GBS require further investigation. Clinical trials of the Zika virus vaccine should monitor for GBS. During Zika virus outbreaks, clinical suspicion should be elevated to improve GBS patient prognosis through prompt diagnosis and treatment," the authors concluded.
See also:
Oct 17 JAMA research letter
CDC Zika and GBS page
More evidence of Zika, GBS link found in Puerto Rico
Filed Under:
French Polynesia; Zika
Stephanie Soucheray | News Reporter | CIDRAP News
| Oct 17, 2017
A research letter published in the latest Journal of the American Medical Association provides more compelling evidence of a correlation between Zika infection and the subsequent development of Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS), a rare complication that can cause muscle weakness and sometime paralysis.
Analysis identified three risk factors
This small, case-control study based in Puerto Rico enrolled 47 cases prospectively to quickly capture specimens at the first sign of neurological illness.
Potential case-patients were reported to public health authorities from nine reference hospitals throughout Puerto Rico with a clinical suspicion of GBS and neurologic illness onset between April and December 2016. Case-patients were enrolled within 1 month of reporting neurological symptoms, and were matched at a rate of 1:2 with controls based on age and location.
Both cases and controls were given a questionnaire on demographics, behaviors, exposures, and medical history, including acute illness within the previous 2 month. Serum, urine, and saliva specimens were collected. The cases and controls were also tested for Zika virus.
Three GBS risk factors were identified: acute illness in the previous 2 months, laboratory evidence of Zika virus infection, and acute Zika virus infection confirmed by RT-PCR (reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction) testing.
"The latter finding adds to growing evidence of a causal association between Zika virus and GBS," the authors wrote.
Study echoes finding from French Polynesia
Though the study was small, the authors said it echoes previous findings from the 2013 Zika outbreak in French Polynesia, where GBS followed Zika infection in adults.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there is a strong association between Zika virus and GBS, but only a small percentage of people infected with Zika will develop GBS.
"The pathophysiology of Zika virus infection and risk factors for developing GBS require further investigation. Clinical trials of the Zika virus vaccine should monitor for GBS. During Zika virus outbreaks, clinical suspicion should be elevated to improve GBS patient prognosis through prompt diagnosis and treatment," the authors concluded.
See also:
Oct 17 JAMA research letter
CDC Zika and GBS page