Now a new study is shedding light on yet another serious condition that can Zika virus can cause in infants. In this condition, the joint is often in an abnormal curved position. After the outbreak of microcephaly in Brazil associated with Zika virus, two reports suggested an association, but they did not describe the deformities in detail. Larger studies of arthrogryposis linked with Zika virus infection are needed in order to better understand the neurological problems that may underlie the condition, the researchers said. But now experts say the virus appears to be linked a severe joint condition seen at birth.
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Florida is the only USA state with known cases of locally acquired Zika infection – 16 so far.
The study is based on a research where detailed brain and joint images of seven children with arthrogryposis were studied.
Because this latest research, published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) yesterday, was an observational study looking back at cases of arthrogryposis, it could not draw definitive conclusions on whether Zika is a direct cause.
The children were also tested to rule out five other main infectious causes of microcephaly – toxoplasmosis, cytomegalovirus, rubella, syphilis and HIV. None of the children had these infections.
All of the children also showed signs of brain calcification. According to researchers, Zika virus destroys brain cells and forms lesions similar to “scars” on which calcium is deposited, leading to a condition known as arthrogryposis – which causes joint deformities at birth.
The children had scans of their joints and surrounding tissues. No evidence of joint abnormalities was found, van der Linden said. The lack of movement in the womb could lead to arthrogryposis, Nationwide Children’s Hospital reported.
“There is some treatment available in terms of physical therapy, casting and surgery, but some of those treatments can make it worse”, Hay said.
“As opposed to linking Zika just to microcephaly there is a whole spectrum which they are now referring to as the [congenital] Zika syndrome, within which is included microcephaly but it is not limited to microcephaly”, he said.
That the association with arthrogryposis doesn’t come from the joints but from nerves is not surprising as Zika has proven to have a strong affinity for nerve cells, Adalja said.
Van der Linden argues that congenital Zika syndrome causes more than just microcephaly.
The emergence of the study comes amid multiple news reports about the first Zika-related death in Texas and the rise of the number of Zika cases in Miami. The virus has also been linked with eye problems, hearing loss and impaired growth, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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Speaking of the alarming rise in Zika cases in the country, Texas Department of State Health Service commissioner Dr. John Hellerstedt told ABC 13: “Zika’s impact on unborn babies can be tragic, and our hearts are with this family”.
