The combination of two mosquito-borne viruses can trigger a stroke

Reviewed by Emily Henderson, B.Sc.September 18, 2020

A fatal combination of the two mosquito-borne viruses can trigger a stroke. Lancet neurology discovered.

Researchers at the University of Liverpool and collaborators in Brazil are investigating the link between neurological disorders and the transmission of viral Zika and chikungunya. These viruses circulate primarily in the tropics and cause outbreaks of rashes and fever in places like Brazil and India. Zika is widely known to cause brain damage in babies following infections during pregnancy, but new studies show that it can also cause nervous system disorders in adults.

A study of 201 adults with newly developed neurological disorders treated in Brazil during the 2015 Zika and 2016 Chikungunya fever epidemics explains the neurological features of several arbovirus infections that circulate simultaneously. It is the largest of the species.

New studies show that each virus can cause a variety of neurological problems. Zika was particularly likely to cause Guillain-Barré syndrome, which damages nerves in the arms and legs. Chikungunya was more likely to cause inflammation and swelling in the brain (encephalitis) and spinal cord (myelitis). However, strokes could be caused by only one of the viruses and were more likely to occur in patients infected with the two viruses at the same time.

A stroke occurs when one of the arteries that supply blood to the brain is blocked. The risk of stroke is known to increase after infection with several types of virus, such as varicella-zoster virus. chicken pox Shingles, HIV. Stroke is increasingly recognized as a complication of COVID-19. This has important implications for the investigation and management of virally infected patients and for understanding the mechanism of the disease.

A total of 1410 patients were screened and 201 were recruited for two years at the Hospital Dulles Taurason in Recife, Brazil. Comprehensive PCR and antibody testing of the virus was performed at the Fiocruz laboratory.

Of the 201 patients admitted to suspected neurological disorders associated with Zika, chikungunya, or both, 148 have been confirmed to be infected by laboratory tests, and one-third are infected with multiple viruses. It was.

The median age of patients was 48 years, with more than half of the patients being female. Only about 10% of patients recovered completely at discharge, and many had ongoing problems such as weakness, seizures, and brain function problems.

About two-thirds of stroke patients, average 67 years old, were infected with multiple viruses. Many people who have had a stroke have other stroke risk factors such as high blood pressure, and strokes following Zika and chikungunya virus infections can be most often seen in people who are already at high risk. is showing.

Dr. Marialcia Britofereira, a neurologist and department head at Hospital Dulles Taurason, who heads the Brazilian team, said: It requires intensive care support in the hospital and can often cause disability and death. “

Dr. Susannarant, a clinical research fellow at the University of Liverpool, who worked on this study, explains: “Our study looks at the potential effects of viral infections on the brain. This involves complications such as stroke. It is increasingly associated with nervous system complications such as COVID-19. To our understanding of other viruses that are

The world’s attention is currently focused on COVID-19, but other recently emerging viruses such as Zika and Chikungunya continue to circulate and cause problems. We need to understand more about why some viruses cause stroke. By doing so, you can prevent this from happening in the future. “

Professor Tom Solomon, Director of Health Protection Research Unit, National Institutes of Health for Emerging and Zoonotic Diseases, University of Liverpool