You may have heard the buzz during the Zika outbreak in 2016. Many professionals suspected a relationship between the Zika virus and Guillain Barre Syndrome (GBS). Guillain Barre Syndrome is a rare disease in which the body’s immune system attacks its own nervous system, with potentially debilitating effects. To read more about GBS, click here.
In January of 2016, El Salvador reported 46 cases of GBS, which is a shocking three times the typical average. This coincided neatly with a rise in the Zika virus. However, at the time, the scientific evidence simply wasn’t strong enough. We needed comprehensive studies to confirm whether Zika virus causes GBS, or whether the increase was coincidental. One of the problems researchers ran into was that by the time a patient had developed GBS, the Zika virus may no longer be detectable in their body.
The Puerto Rico Department of Health (PRDH), the University of Puerto Rico, and the CDC collaborated to find an answer. They ran a case-control study to establish risk factors for GBS. Because they enrolled case patients ahead of time, they had a better chance at detecting Zika virus the nucleic acids, and definitively confirming the infection.
This is the first controlled, lab-based study of its type measuring whether the Zika virus increases risk of developing GBS. The results provided rigorous support of what many people had already suspected– there is evidence of a causal relationship between the Zika virus and GBS.
From here on out, the public health services can use this knowledge to make sure that communities understand this risk. In any future Zika virus outbreaks, communities will be better prepared to recognize the symptoms. An early diagnosis of GBS could provide a better outcome.
This is a great new find, but there are still important questions to be answered. What mechanisms are responsible for this? After the Zika virus is contracted, why are some people more vulnerable to developing GBS than others, and what can reduce those risk factors? This study recommends clinical trials studying the Zika vaccine monitor their patients for GBS. Keep an eye out for further investigations!
