Zika Virus Update: Virus Linked to Another Autoimmune Disease
Following the announcement by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) about the other possibilities that could further risk people in acquiring the Zika virus, a new report reveals that scientists have discovered a link between the virus and a second autoimmune disease.
According to U.S.A. Today, a study set to be presented this week at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology in Vancouver suggests that there is a connection between Zika and acute disseminated encephalomyeltis (ADEM), a condition similar to the degenerating disease multiple sclerosis.
The study focused on people hospitalized in Recife, Brazil from December 2014 to December 2015 for having symptoms which could have been caused by either chikungunya, dengue, or Zika.
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ADEM is somehow different from MS as exacerbations don't come ever so often compared to MS and single attacks are more common. However, some cases proved that ADEM has the capability to trigger more than one attack.
Earlier this week, Dr. Anne Schuchat, principal deputy director of the CDC said, "Most of what we've learned is not reassuring. Everything we look at with this virus seems to be a bit scarier than we initially thought."
In the United States alone, there are 346 cases, all of which have recently traveled to countries around the globe where Zika is prevalent. The fears have increased as it was reported that local transmissions are starting to spread in some areas including Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and American Samoa.
In the said areas, 354 cases have been confirmed but only three of are related to trips abroad. Aside from the possibility of an epidemic as local transmissions further spread, specialists are getting more and more concerned for pregnant women who are acquiring the virus.
Last year, multiple outlets revealed that Zika in pregnant women is linked to babies born with microcephaly - a condition that features abnormally small heads and other dangerous birth defects.
Brazil has urged its women to avoid getting pregnant until the health issue is resolved but it turns out that the number of soon-to-be-mothers continues to grow by the day.
