Zika virus seems to be causing major headaches among scientists and experts as new research showed that not all Zika-infected babies manifest birth defects such as microcephaly. In fact, other infants may appear normal however, they could still have brain abnormalities and developmental issues linked to Zika infection.
Zika Virus May Not Cause Microcephaly
Based on the latest findings published in the medical journal The Lancet on Wednesday, a team of researchers Universidade Federal de Pelotas in Brazil discovered that several Zika virus-infected babies do not have microcephaly. Unfortunately, they still showed signs of developmental delays.
"Most suspected cases ended up being normal newborn babies with small heads," lead study author Professor Cesar Victora said, as per Daily Mail. "However, one in five definite or probable Zika cases had head circumference values in the normal range. Therefore, the current focus on microcephaly screening alone is too narrow."
Zika Virus Infection In Newborn Babies May Lead To Brain Damage
Victora also added their findings suggest the possibility that Zika virus infection might cause brain damage in newborn infants. The team explained that the development of a fetus' skull normally takes place at 30 weeks of gestation hence, Zika-infected babies can be born without microcephaly but with significant brain damage.
Zika Virus Affects Brain Tissue By Causing Cell Death
In another study, researchers found that Zika virus can affect the brain tissue of infants, which can lead to cell death, physical deformities and abnormal calcium deposits. According to People, Vanderbilt University Medical Center's infectious disease expert Dr. William Schaffner revealed that other birth defects (eyesight or hearing) can be manifested if the brain development is "affected in utero."
"I'm afraid the more we learn the nastier the Zika virus is," Schaffner told ABC News. "It's quite evident that the Zika virus, if it gets into a pregnant woman, can get into the placenta and into the baby and it gets right into the brain cells."
Zika Virus Is More Dangerous In Fetus And Pregnant Women
According to a study published in the journal Nature Communications, Madison's University of Wisconsin researchers that Zika virus can stay in the blood of a pregnant woman for as long as two months. Lead study author David O'Connor stressed that pregnancy weakens the immune system, which means Zika-infected pregnant women may not be able to fight off the infection well.
With that said, a prolonged Zika infection will be more dangerous to the fetus. In fact, the prolonged infection might last longer to the fetus compared to the mother's infection, NBC News reports.
"The other, more provocative hypothesis is that it's indicative of infection of the fetus, and what we're observing in the maternal bloodstream is the shedding of virus by the fetus back into the mother's bloodstream," O'Connor stated. "If that happens to be the case, it would suggest that there is a prolonged infection of the fetus that lasts much longer than the infection of the mother."
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