CTV Toronto : reported that Study examines effects of Zika virus on Canadian travellers

Codi Wilson, CTV News TorontoNot all Canadian travellers diagnosed with the Zika virus experienced mild symptoms, according to a new study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal. Two of the travellers with Zika had symptoms resembling those of Guillain-Barre syndrome, which under severe circumstances can lead to temporary paralysis. One of the two travellers who experienced those symptoms also had Zika viral meningitis. Rash and fever were the most common symptoms experienced by those diagnosed with the virus. Of those 1,118 travellers, 41 (3.7 per cent) were diagnosed with Zika.

Zika virus in Canadian patients 'more severe' than expected

Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Zika is commonly transmitted by mosquitoesThe impact of the Zika virus on infected Canadian travellers was "more severe" than expected, say researchers. They say they found a higher rate of complicated illness than anticipated in Zika patients. Researchers found that 10% of patients with the virus had severe complications. The researchers did note the study was limited by its small size - the sample group made up only 12% of Canadians who contracted Zika virus over that time period. None of the patients who came to the clinic with comparable tropical illnesses like dengue or chikungunya developed severe complications.

Zika virus more common and severe in Canadian travellers than thought, study finds

But unlike the dengue patients, many of the Zika patients developed serious problems from their infections. Two travellers developed the neurological disorder Guillain–Barré Syndrome, or GBS-like syndrome, a condition that has been linked Zika virus by previous research. Ten per cent of the 41 patients with Zika developed severe complications. Referral bias could have played a role in the high incidence of severe complications, the study authors note. Among the other travellers with Zika infections, 88 per cent developed a rash and 80 per cent had fever.



collected by :Lucy William
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