Warning to Families and Couples in Tropical Americas: Zika Spreading Fast.

[Alan Mighty]

CT and MRI scans show brain damage presumably caused by ZIKV: Professor Maria de Fatima Vasco Aragao and colleagues scanned the brains of 6 infants with congential ZIKV and who still tested positive to ZIKV and 17 infants who did not test positive to ZIKV but who otherwise met criteria for congenital ZIKV infection. Professor Vasco and colleagues describe the abnormalities found and discuss the differences between brain abnormalities associated with presumed ZIKV and other abnormalities due to other causes (e.g. genetic diseases such as RNASET2-related disease and Aicardi-Goutieres Syndrome). The BMJ (British Medical Journal).

[Alan Mighty]

Texas, USA: ZIKV transmitted by anal intercourse: D. Trew Deckhard and colleagues report (and confirm earlier media stories) on a case of male-male sexual transmission of ZIKV in Dallas, Texas, in January 2016. CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

[Alan Mighty]

ZIKV and microcephaly: 97% of tested microcephalic infants (i.e. 30 of 31 microcephalic infants) tested positive for ZIKV immunoglobin in cerebrospinal fluid in Brazil. The Lancet.

[Alan Mighty]

ZIKV testing in the US: Dr Sharoda Dasgupta and colleagues of the USA CDC report on testing for ZIKV of 4,500 persons in the US. Tests showed that very few asymptomatic individuals had ZIKV infection. The authors and CDC conclude that the high potential for adverse outcomes for mothers and infants (e.g. microcephaly and the lifetime costs associated with the condition) justify testing of asymptomatic pregnant women who have potentially been exposed. CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

[JPA Cate]

Hey, there, Alan Mighty,

Thanks for posting all these links to articles. Data rules!

Ann

[GoingWalkabout]

I'm wondering what effects if any one adults. I know it is devastating for new horns and the social and economic impacts haven't even been tabulated. But I am having a nagging thought at the back of my mind the virus may well have as yet unpublished affects on adults. Affects that aren't as readily noticeable as with new born babies. I do hope there is no foundation for my nagging thought and doubt.

[GoingWalkabout]

Further information on the possible affects of the Zika virus on adults.

Zika is now linked to be one of the viruses that can cause Guillain-Barre Syndrome. The effects of GB Syndrome are indeed serious for adults.

The health-related quality of life (HRQL) after an attack of Guillain–Barré syndrome can be significantly impaired. About a fifth are unable to walk unaided after six months, and many experience chronic pain, fatigue and difficulty with work, education, hobbies and social activities.

"Guillain–Barré syndrome can lead to death as a result of a number of complications: severe infections, blood clots, and cardiac arrest likely due to autonomic neuropathy. Despite optimum care this occurs in about 5% of cases.[1]

There is a variation in the rate and extent of recovery.[1] The prognosis of Guillain–Barré syndrome is determined mainly by age (those over 40 may have a poorer outcome), and by the severity of symptoms after two weeks. Furthermore, those who experienced diarrhea before the onset of disease have a worse prognosis.[6] On the nerve conduction study, the presence of conduction block predicts poorer outcome at 6 months.[6] In those who have received intravenous immunoglobulins, a smaller increase in IgG in the blood two weeks after administration is associated with poorer mobility outcomes at six months than those whose IgG level increased substantially.[6] If the disease continues to progress beyond four weeks, or there are multiple fluctuations in the severity (more than two in eight weeks), the diagnosis may be chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy which is treated differently.[2]

In research studies, the outcome from an episode of Guillain–Barré syndrome is recorded on a scale from 0–6, where 0 denotes completely healthy, 1 very minor symptoms but able to run, 2 able to walk but not to run, 3 requiring a stick or other support, 4 confined to bed or chair, 5 requiring long-term respiratory support, 6 death.[27]

The health-related quality of life (HRQL) after an attack of Guillain–Barré syndrome can be significantly impaired. About a fifth are unable to walk unaided after six months, and many experience chronic pain, fatigue and difficulty with work, education, hobbies and social activities.[28] HRQL improves significantly in the first year.[28]"

[barnakiel]

April 15, Martinique:

Accumulated cases 17 990.
(= 2 500 new cases, in 2 weeks)

7 SGB syndrome patients,
(5 new cases, in 2 weeks)
142 pregnant women with ZIKV confirmed,
2 (1 new) microcephaly case,

source: Légère augmentation du nombre de cas de Zika en Martinique - martinique 1ère

SGB is what may be of main concern to senior cruisers, as well as all post ZIKA long term after effects.

b.

[Alan Mighty]

A mouse model for ZIKV: Matthew Aliota and colleagues report on a strain of laboratory mouse that can be infected with ZIKV by injecting virus into a foot pad. Infected mice show that ZIKV causes problems in brain and muscles. PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases.

Note: ZIKV does not infect normal mice (only humans and some primates). Having a small animal model allows researchers to see what happens during an infection event; test therapies; and test potential vaccines.

[Alan Mighty]

Virus infections in general (i.e. not specific to ZIKV): perhaps we've never really understood virus infections. Thomas Blank and colleagues have published an interesting paper that may change the way we think about viruses - note however that the research findings are confirmed for humans. In brief (and the paper is such that I will need to read it multiple times to understand it and its implications). The researchers started by looking at:

1. the complex link between stress and depression on a person's immune system; and


2. the 'virus sickness behaviour' syndrome - the phenomenon shown when a person infected by influenza or even the common cold displays a temporary behaviour mode (mopes around, temporary depression); and


3. the established phenomenon of patients of certain cancers who, when treated with interferon, also exhibit temporary depressive behaviours.


Blank and colleagues put 1, 2, and 3 together. And have tested their hypothesis that (some?) viruses cause a cascade of a certain cytokine (CXCL 10) in the brain cells of mice infected with a vesicular stomatitis virus. When forced to swim in water, the infected mice displayed as if depressed.


Read it for yourself. This could be the start of an improved understanding of viruses on humans. Or it could be a dead end. People far more expert than I thought the paper was worth publishing. Immunity (part of the Cell family of journals).

[boatman61]

[QUOTE=GoingWalkabout;2102471]


The health-related quality of life (HRQL) after an attack of 'Tanquery Syndrome' can be significantly impaired. About a fifth are unable to walk unaided after six shots, and many experience chronic pain, fatigue and difficulty with work, education, hobbies and social activities the next couple of days.
QUOTE]

But.. it takes ones mind off Zika...

[chala]

Also be aware that fogging Malathion, Maldison can also cause birth defect.

Of interest.
http://health.nt.gov.au/library/scri...0Territory.pdf

[boatman61]

[QUOTE=Alan Mighty;2104323][B]

Blank and colleagues put 1, 2, and 3 together. And have tested their hypothesis that (some?) viruses cause a cascade of a certain cytokine (CXCL 10) in the brain cells of mice infected with a vesicular stomatitis virus. When forced to swim in water, the infected mice displayed as if depressed.
QUOTE]

Some sailors.. when forced to swim in water display as if depressed.. without the virus

[Dsanduril]

And to top it all off:

Zika found in Aedes albopictus (as predicted by Alan Mighty way back on page one of this thread). First time identified in other than Aedes aegypti. Extends the potential range considerably.

[barnakiel]

April 29, Martinique:

Accumulated cases 20 980 / 17 990.

(= 2 990 new cases, in 2 weeks)

This translates into about 5 000 new cases in April.

La tendance de l'épidémie reste Ã* l’augmentation : 20 980 cas en Martinique - martinique 1ère

The map shows distribution with huge concentration in the district most adjacent to St Lucia. Interestingly, St. Lucia reported only 2 cases. Very odd, NO?

b.