Zika infections and complications

Zika virus (ZIKV), an arbovirus from the Flaviviridae family, is the causative agent of Zika fever, a mild and frequent oligosymptomatic disease in humans. Nonetheless, on rare occasions, ZIKV infection can be associated with Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS), and severe congenital complications, such as microcephaly. The oligosymptomatic disease, however, presents symptoms that are quite similar to those observed in infections caused by other frequent co-circulating arboviruses, including dengue virus (DENV)...

Arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses) pose significant threats to global public health by causing a spectrum of diseases ranging from mild febrile illnesses to severe neurological complications. Understanding the intricate interplay between arboviruses and the immune system within the central nervous system is crucial for developing effective strategies to combat these infections and mitigate their neurological sequelae. This review comprehensively explores the mechanisms by which arboviruses such as Zika virus, West Nile virus, and Dengue virus manipulate immune responses within the CNS, leading to diverse clinical manifestations...

Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) is an autoimmune neuropathy. Antecedent infections have been seen to be significant triggering factors for developing GBS. Among them, arboviral infections are rapidly gaining importance as significant triggers, especially in the areas where they are endemic. Chikungunya, an arboviral infection that usually causes a self-limiting acute febrile illness can lead to GBS as one its severe complications. Herein, we describe a case of a 21-year-old female who presented with weakness in all four limbs and paresthesia...

BACKGROUND: Despite maternal flavivirus infections' linkage to severe maternal and fetal outcomes, surveillance during pregnancy remains limited globally. Further complicating maternal screening for these potentially teratogenic pathogens is the overwhelming subclinical nature of acute infection. This study aimed to understand perinatal and neonatal risk for poor health outcomes associated with flaviviral infection during pregnancy in El Salvador. METHODS: Banked serologic samples and clinical results obtained from women presenting for labor and delivery at a national referent hospital in western El Salvador March to September 2022 were used for this study...

African populations of the mosquito Aedes aegypti are usually considered less susceptible to infection by human-pathogenic flaviviruses than globally invasive populations found outside Africa. Although this contrast has been well documented for Zika virus (ZIKV), it is unclear to what extent it is true for dengue virus (DENV), the most prevalent flavivirus of humans. Addressing this question is complicated by substantial genetic diversity among DENV strains, most notably in the form of four genetic types (DENV1 to DENV4), that can lead to genetically specific interactions with mosquito populations...

Pregnant individuals with viral illness may experience significant morbidity and have higher rates of pregnancy and neonatal complications. With the growing number of viral infections and new viral pandemics, it is important to examine the effects of infection during pregnancy on both the gestational parent and the offspring. Febrile illness and inflammation during pregnancy are correlated with risk for autism, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and developmental delay in the offspring in human and animal models...

Infectious diseases are a cause of major concern in this twenty-first century. There have been reports of various outbreaks like severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2003, swine flu in 2009, Zika virus disease in 2015, and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) in 2012, since the start of this millennium. In addition to these outbreaks, the latest infectious disease to result in an outbreak is the SARS-CoV-2 infection. A viral infection recognized as a respiratory illness at the time of emergence, SARS-CoV-2 has wreaked havoc worldwide because of its long-lasting implications like heart failure, sepsis, organ failure, etc...

An arbovirus belonging to the Flaviviridae family and the Flavivirus genus, the Zika virus (ZIKV), has profoundly transformed global health perception. Historically, ZIKV infections were considered infrequent, with generally mild manifestations. However, this perception changed dramatically when the virus quickly spread from Asia to the Americas, impacting many nations. It was alarming that there was a connection between ZIKV infection in pregnant women and the beginning of microcephaly in their offspring. ZIKV control and treatment are further complicated because Aedes mosquitoes, which primarily bite during the day, are the primary vectors of the virus...

Zika virus (ZIKV), the causative agent of Zika fever, is a flavivirus transmitted by mosquitoes of the Aedes genus. Zika virus infection has become an international concern due to its association with severe neurological complications such as fetal microcephaly. Viral infection can induce the release of ATP in the extracellular environment, activating receptors sensitized by extracellular nucleotides, such as the P2X7 receptor. This receptor is the primary purinergic receptor involved in neuroinflammation, neurodegeneration, and immunity...

PURPOSE: To provide an overview of pre-selected emerging arboviruses (arthropod-borne viruses) that cause ocular inflammation in humans. METHODS: A comprehensive review of the literature published between 1997 and 2023 was conducted in PubMed database. We describe current insights into epidemiology, systemic and ocular manifestations, diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of arboviral diseases including West Nile fever, Dengue fever, Chikungunya, Rift Valley fever, Zika, and Yellow fever...

The balance between a protective and a destructive immune response can be precarious, as exemplified by inborn errors in nucleotide metabolism. This class of inherited disorders, which mimics infection, can result in systemic injury and severe neurologic outcomes. The most common of these disorders is Aicardi Goutières syndrome (AGS). AGS results in a phenotype similar to "TORCH" infections (Toxoplasma gondii, Other [Zika virus (ZIKV), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)], Rubella virus, human Cytomegalovirus [HCMV], and Herpesviruses), but with sustained inflammation and ongoing potential for complications...

Mosquito-borne arboviral diseases are a global concern and can have severe consequences on maternal, neonatal, and child health. Their impact on pregnancy tends to be neglected in developing countries. Despite hundreds of millions of infections, 90% pregnancies being exposed, scientific data on pregnant women is poor and sometimes non-existent. Recently and since the 2016 Zika virus outbreak, there has been a newfound interest in these diseases. Through various neuropathogenic, visceral, placental, and teratogenic mechanisms, these arbovirus infections can lead to fetal losses, obstetrical complications, and a wide range of congenital abnormalities, resulting in long-term neurological and sensory impairments...

Dengue, Zika and chikungunya outbreaks pose a significant public health risk to Pacific Island communities. Differential diagnosis is challenging due to overlapping clinical features and limited availability of laboratory diagnostic facilities. There is also insufficient information regarding the complications of these arboviruses, particularly for Zika and chikungunya. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to calculate pooled prevalence estimates with 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the clinical manifestations of dengue, Zika and chikungunya in the Pacific Islands...

Neurological problems are more frequently linked to dengue, a mosquito-transmitted virus common in tropical areas. This review study thoroughly examines the effects of dengue on adult males' neurological systems. Dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) or dengue shock syndrome (DSS) can develop in severe cases of dengue fever caused by the dengue virus (DENV). Unsettlingly, it is thought that a sizable portion of DENV infections impact the central nervous system (CNS), which calls into question the former theory that the DENV is not neurotropic...

The congenital Zika syndrome (CZS) has been characterized as a set of several brain changes, such as reduced brain volume and subcortical calcifications, in addition to cognitive deficits. Microcephaly is one of the possible complications found in newborns exposed to Zika virus (ZIKV) during pregnancy, although it is an impacting clinical sign. This study aimed to investigate the consequences of a model of congenital ZIKV infection by evaluating the histopathology, blood-brain barrier, and neuroinflammation in pup rats 24 h after birth, and neurodevelopment of the offspring...

Viruses from the Flaviviridae family, such as Dengue virus (DENV), Yellow fever virus (YFV), and Zika virus (ZIKV) are notorious global public health problems. ZIKV emergence in Polynesia and the Americas from 2013 to 2016 raised concerns as new distinguishing features set it apart from previous outbreaks, including its association with neurological complications and heightened disease severity. Virus detection is impaired as cross-reactivity to other closely related orthoflaviviruses is common among commercially available diagnostic kits...

BACKGROUND: Zika virus (ZIKV) is a single-stranded RNA flavivirus transmitted by mosquitoes. Its infection is associated with neurological complications such as neonatal microcephaly and adult Guillain-Barré syndrome, posing a serious threat to the health of people worldwide. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop effective anti-ZIKV drugs. Atranorin is a lichen secondary metabolite with a wide range of biological activities, including anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and antioxidant, etc...

UNLABELLED: African populations of the mosquito Aedes aegypti are usually considered less susceptible to infection by human-pathogenic flaviviruses than globally invasive populations found outside Africa. Although this contrast has been well documented for Zika virus (ZIKV), it is unclear to what extent it is true for dengue virus (DENV), the most prevalent flavivirus of humans. Addressing this question is complicated by substantial genetic diversity among DENV strains, most notably in the form of four genetic types (DENV1 to DENV4), that can lead to genetically specific interactions with mosquito populations...

Dengue, zika, and chikungunya are arboviruses of great epidemiological relevance worldwide. The emergence and re-emergence of viral infections transmitted by mosquitoes constitute a serious human public health problem. The neurological manifestations caused by these viruses have a high potential for death or sequelae. The complications that occur in the nervous system associated with arboviruses can be a challenge for diagnosis and treatment. In endemic areas, suspected cases should include acute encephalitis, myelitis, encephalomyelitis, polyradiculoneuritis, and/or other syndromes of the central or peripheral nervous system, in the absence of a known explanation...

Zika virus (ZIKV) has emerged as a significant public health threat, reaching pandemic levels in 2016. Human infection with ZIKV can manifest as either asymptomatic or as an acute illness characterized by symptoms such as fever and headache. Moreover, it has been associated with severe neurological complications in adults, including Guillain-Barre syndrome, and devastating fetal abnormalities, like microcephaly. The primary mode of transmission is through Aedes spp. mosquitoes, and with half of the world's population residing in regions where Aedes aegypti , the principal vector, thrives, the reemergence of ZIKV remains a concern...