SorcererMC
Well-Known Member
It is going to take some time to prove any causal link between Zika virus and cognitive deficits and its frequency among adults who have been infected.
I'd like to provide some more context:
This is based on a preliminary study published in Cell Stem Cell 08-18-16 which shows that neural progenitor cells in adults can be infected by the Zika virus (which was previously unknown), and helps explain the increased occurrence of immune-mediated Guillain-Barre Syndrome (risk estimate calculated as .24 per 1000 Zika virus infection cases) by describing the possible virus mechanism.
Here is a link to the American Academy of Neurology April press release which describes a study in Brazil of 151 patients with neurological manifestations from Zika during the outbreak Dec 2014-Dec 2015 https://www.aan.com/PressRoom/home/PressRelease/1451. (It's not in the article, but the Brazilian government/WHO has estimated that there were 1.5 mln Zika virus cases.)
“This doesn’t mean that all people infected with Zika will experience these brain problems. Of those who have nervous system problems, most do not have brain symptoms,” said [study author] Ferreira. “However, our study may shed light on possible lingering effects the virus may be associated with in the brain.”
------------------------------------------------
This suggests to me (a non-medical professional with rare neurological and immunological diseases in my family) that the neurological effects of Zika virus are more likely to occur in symptomatic cases, (ie symptoms as evidence of an immune response), and perhaps among those with weakened immune systems.
