Zika Virus Update: Zika Effects Aside From Microcephaly and Other Birth Defects

Linda Birnbaum, director of the US National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), stated that Zika was discovered in 1947 and had not been implicated in birth defects until today and so and the current strains of Zika virus do not show any significant mutations that have progressed the virulence. It turns to be a puzzle to her about the emergence of the great viral terror to countries today instead back in the WWII period, when it all began.

Studies suggest that Zika virus is linked to socio-economic factors as it becomes more and more prevalent in small cities or on the outskirts of big ones. In addition, the co-infections of Zika and other viruses, such as dengue and chikungunya are supposed to be interacting so that high intensity of birth defects in the area is being brought about.

 As Zika becomes a problem in Asia, America, Africa, and some parts of the Pacific islands, more people become cautious and want to know more about the other effects of the Zika virus aside from pregnancy defects like microcephaly and abnormal development of the baby's brains.

Zika is also linked to Guillain-Barré syndrome according to World Health Organization. This syndrome is a disorder that attacks the immune system and disrupts the function of the nerves. It causes weakness and tingling in your extremities. The range of neurological disorders are still being studied in connection to the Zika virus.

The terror of Zika virus is said to be evolving and escalating. Some experts say that it is like a milder dengue that has progressed to be a serious neurological threat. We are still not sure how far its tendrils will reach but everyone is hoping for an immediate initiative to produce the right vaccination that will protect not just the kids but all human beings from the ubiquitous outbreak.