Zika virus in Canadian patients 'more severe' than expected stat : BBC

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.




Researchers examined Zika virus infection in seven nonhuman primates (rhesus macaques) at the Oregon National Primate Research Center from March 2016 to August 2016 using a 2015 Puerto Rican Zika virus isolate. In male rhesus macaques, researchers were unable to detect viral RNA in the testes, which was somewhat surprising given the reports of male-to-female Zika virus sexual transmission. Transmission electron microscope image of negative-stained, Fortaleza-strain Zika virus (red), isolated from a microcephaly case in Brazil. Explore further: Zika virus harms testes, says study The study showed the wide—and persistent—distribution of Zika virus in tissues, including neuronal tissues and the female reproductive tract, that may have important implications for the link between Zika virus and Guillain-Barré syndrome, sexual transmission of the virus and fetal infection and its consequences, most notably microcephaly.


More than 5,000 people have been infected in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Oregon scientists have unlocked some of the mysteries of the Zika virus, tracking how it invades the body. There are also cases of local transmission in the United States: 221 in Florida and six in Texas. The OHSU researchers have turned now to looking at the effect of the virus on the fetus during pregnancy. Nearly 75 people in the United States have been infected through sexual activity.


collected by :Sandra Alex
To follow all the new news about

VIRUSES and INFECTIONS