Zika Virus Outbreak News: Study Links a New Neurological Disorder to Zika

Health officials reported Wednesday that the list of neurological disorders associated with the Zika virus keeps growing. French researchers found a case of Zika virus infection linked to meningoencephalitis, an infection and swelling of the brain.

The study of the French research team was published in the March 9 online edition of the New England Journal of Medicine. They described the case of an unidentified 81-year-old man, who became feverish and then comatose while on a cruise in the South Pacific. The patient has been diagnosed with meningoencephalitis after an MRI scan and spinal fluid test.

According to the website philly.com, doctors were able to diagnose Zika infection in the elderly patient, who was admitted to an intensive care unit. The condition of the patient began to improve without treatment within several days, and since then, he had fully recovered.

The mosquito-transmitted Zika virus also appears to be linked to microcephaly, according to previous research. Microcephaly is a birth defect that causes babies to be born with underdeveloped brains and unusually small heads. The Zika virus has also been linked to an immune system disorder called the Guillain-Barre syndrome. The disease may lead occasionally to a fatal form of paralysis.

U.S. health officials have said that only one out of every five people infected with Zika show any symptoms. Many of those people who get infected with the Zika virus usually do not suffer severe symptoms. The elderly patient's recovery could reinforce doctors' belief that Zika could be most dangerous to pregnant women and their unborn babies.

Despite the lack of more proof linking Zika virus with neurological disorders, the World Health Organization declared that the severe potential risks of Zika infections require immediate, decisive action in order to protect public health. Among the preventive measures recommended by WHO are included proper care for women before, during and after pregnancy; appropriate medical care for all patients with Guillain-Barre syndrome; intensive mosquito control and personal protection against mosquito bites.