Gert van der Hoek
In Memoriam - Editor, Senior Moderator
Scientists from the Institute of Global Health of Barcelona (ISGlobal) have documented the first probable case of spontaneous death of a fetus due to the Zika virus in Spain, where there have been cases of birth of children with microcephaly due to this infection.
EFE | Madrid | Updated on 05/14/2018
According to ISGlobal, the case dates back to 2016, although until now the probable cause of the spontaneous death of the fetus has not been scientifically certified, in a Spanish woman, daughter of Dominicans based in Barcelona, who traveled in June of that year to the Dominican Republic, where he became infected with Zika.
Scientists have studied the case and concluded that it is "highly probable" that the cause of the unexpected death of the fetus was due to the Zika virus . The team of ISGlobal, a center promoted by the "la Caixa" Banking Foundation, considers that the study of this case strengthens the association between Zika virus, infection through the placenta, and damage to the embryo.
The woman in this case already began to develop symptoms compatible with Zika infection when she was in the Dominican Republic and, upon her return to Spain, a routine examination revealed the death of the fetus, which is estimated to have occurred in the eighth week of gestation.
The research team was then able to isolate the virus in the placenta and embryonic tissue. The woman also had antibodies against the virus, and the researchers were also able to detect viruses in the blood (by molecular methods) up to one month after the onset of symptoms.
"The persistence of the virus until three weeks after the fetal death had not been previously described, and highlights the scarce knowledge about the natural history of the infection," said Azucena Bardaj?, coordinator of the study.
"All the analyzes carried out indicate that spontaneous abortion is most likely due to symptomatic Zika infection in the first months of pregnancy, and that it occurred shortly after infection," Bardaj? concluded. The results of the study also identify the placenta as one of the target tissues of the virus.
EFE | Madrid | Updated on 05/14/2018
According to ISGlobal, the case dates back to 2016, although until now the probable cause of the spontaneous death of the fetus has not been scientifically certified, in a Spanish woman, daughter of Dominicans based in Barcelona, who traveled in June of that year to the Dominican Republic, where he became infected with Zika.
Scientists have studied the case and concluded that it is "highly probable" that the cause of the unexpected death of the fetus was due to the Zika virus . The team of ISGlobal, a center promoted by the "la Caixa" Banking Foundation, considers that the study of this case strengthens the association between Zika virus, infection through the placenta, and damage to the embryo.
The woman in this case already began to develop symptoms compatible with Zika infection when she was in the Dominican Republic and, upon her return to Spain, a routine examination revealed the death of the fetus, which is estimated to have occurred in the eighth week of gestation.
The research team was then able to isolate the virus in the placenta and embryonic tissue. The woman also had antibodies against the virus, and the researchers were also able to detect viruses in the blood (by molecular methods) up to one month after the onset of symptoms.
"The persistence of the virus until three weeks after the fetal death had not been previously described, and highlights the scarce knowledge about the natural history of the infection," said Azucena Bardaj?, coordinator of the study.
"All the analyzes carried out indicate that spontaneous abortion is most likely due to symptomatic Zika infection in the first months of pregnancy, and that it occurred shortly after infection," Bardaj? concluded. The results of the study also identify the placenta as one of the target tissues of the virus.