Effects of the Zika virus to live birth may give more answers as experts study twins. In cases where women gave birth to twins while infected by the Zika virus, only one twin exhibits brain defects as microcephaly.
Zika Virus Disease Detection Through Twins
NBC News reports that experts, in fact, became aware of the Zika virus disease after observing the selective brain damage between twins. The cases involving twins were first reported in northeastern Brazil where the American Zika virus case was first detected.
Medical Daily reports that the five cases of Zika virus-affected birth of twins are now being analyzed by researchers from Sao Paulo University. They believe that the state of these twins holds to vital clues to the behavior of Zika virus infection.
Zika Virus Threat To Mothers And Babies
The Zika virus reportedly brings more harm to pregnant women and their unborn babies than to any other demographic. A pregnant woman who becomes infected by the Zika virus immediately before or during her pregnancy only recovers after giving birth.
Babies of mothers infected by the Zika virus are not as lucky. Most babies, even twins, reportedly exhibit birth defects that affect brain development.
Zika virus infection does not only figure in damaging the development of a baby. In some cases, the unborn child does not survive the infection and dies.
Hope Against Zika Virus
Mayana Zatz, from the Human Genome Research Center Sao Paolo University, states that gene may be a determining factor between twins. Zatz highlights particular interest in what protects twins and what causes vulnerability in these cases of Zika virus interference.
According to Mayana Zatz, the team needs to identify if only one or both housing the twins are permeable by the Zika virus. One other theory allows for the possibility of the placenta of both twins being vulnerable to Zika virus entry but neural resistance may be present in one baby.
A third theory suggests that the microcephaly gene may exist in twins. Zika virus infection alters this gene for one of the twins.
