As evidence mounts that Zika infection can cause the paralyzing side effect Guillain-Barré syndrome, instances of Guillain-Barré have skyrocketed in Caribbean and Latin American countries hit by the virus.
Health officials and researchers from Latin America have reported that cases of Guillain-Barré increased by as much as 877 percent in Venezuela, and, at the very least, rates doubled elsewhere, the officials said in a letter to the New England Journal of Medicine.
The medical fraternity is reasonably sure that Zika causes Guillain-Barré, a little understood reaction in which the immune system attacks the nerves. It can cause temporary but often severe paralysis and in some cases patients need to be put on ventilators to help them breathe.
Guillain-Barré caused by Zika killed a man in Puerto Rico last month – and is significantly more prevalent in adult males than females.
The health officials suggested that watching for Guillain-Barré cases might be one way to spot Zika outbreaks, although other infections can also cause Guillain-Barré. “Approximately 500 million people in Latin America and the Caribbean are at risk for Zika virus infection,” they wrote.
The Ministry of Health has reported one case of Zika related Guillain Barre here in St.lucia. The victim is a male in his early 40s. Officials say his condition is stable and he is under care and treatment.
Leave a Reply