The Zika virus occurs at any stage during pregnancy and attacks cells that would have become the brain’s cortex. Research has shown that the foetuses would die, be born blind, have small heads and undersized placentas according to The New England Journal of Medicine.
88 women were tested in Rio de Janiero and results were described as chilling by the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Dr Anthony S. Fauci. He found it disturbing that even when caught late in pregnancy, death was still a possibility.
Links are being made to the rubella outbreak of 1964 in the USA. More than 2,000 children died and 20,000 were born deaf, blind or with a disability. A repeat is unlikely as it is a mosquito that carries the disease. There is, however, likely to be some cases as it is spread by sex as well. Colombia via the World Health Organisation is carrying out a larger trial – 5,000 women.
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In Brazil, 42 women who were infected undertook scans as well as 16 uninfected. Only eight babies were born healthy and there are concerns as 80% of victims do not show symptoms. The others have headaches and rashes.
John Hopkins have also carried out a study. Cells seen in early foetal development were infected with the virus and within days most progenitor cells were damaged, other types less so. Neurologist Dr Guo-li Ming is confident that the studies carried out will lead to the production of medication that will stop brain damage occurring in foetuses in the future.
