Poorva Chavan
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Written By: Poorva Chavan | Updated : February 11, 2016 7:24 PM IST
While the link between the Zika virus and birth defects like microcephaly, the condition where babies are born with smaller brains, was not clearly established, Slovenian scientists from the University Medical Center in Ljubljana have been able to prove that the Zika virus could cause microcephaly. They observed the presence of the virus in the brain of the aborted foetus of a European woman who became pregnant while living in Brazil. (Read: 8 essential tips to prevent Zika)
They conducted an autopsy which revealed a small head size coupled with severe brain injury and high levels of Zika virus in the brain tissues of the foetus. The levels exceeded those typically found in blood samples. The findings strengthen the association between microcephaly and the Zika infection.
Brazil has been worst affected with Zika and around 4000 cases of brain damage have been reported so far. Brazillian researchers have been trying to associate the arrival of the Zika virus with the brain damage. Out of the 4000, 400 cases were confirmed as that of microcephaly and the presence of the Zika virus was also established, but the association between the two was not confirmed. (Read: Zika fever: 6 symptoms of zika viral disease everyone should know!)
Researchers believe that birth defect associated with Zika infection during pregnancy could be due to the replication of the virus in the brain. Their findings present compelling evidence that brain defect and the disease are linked, however, more studies need to be conducted.
In the case that was investigated, the mother showed signs of infection during the 13th week of pregnancy, but her ultrasounds in the following weeks were normal. Only when she returned to Europe, the researchers could trace severe abnormality in the foetus during an ultrasound in the 29th week. They believe that ultrasounds may pick up fetal abnormalities very late in gestation. The woman also noticed reduced fetal movement and was told that foetus has very poor prognosis. The foetus was aborted at 32 weeks. (Read: Beware! Zika can be transmitted through saliva and urine)
Any other deformities--
Apart from microcephaly, the foetus showed no abnormality. Also, the woman did not have genes that would predispose the foetus to microcephaly. During the autopsy, researchers found that instead of the grooves in the brain, the surface of the brain was smooth, and the brain also had numerous calcifications which were a sign of inflammation. (Read: Test to detect Zika designed by Brazillian scientists)
Plus the brain samples tested positive for Zika virus and the doctors ruled out any other possibility of microcephaly like rubella, cytomegalovirus, and toxoplasmosis. The scientists could also match the genome of the virus from the brain of the foetus to the strain of the Zika virus isolated from a patient in French Polynesia in 2013 and a Zika virus strain isolated from Sao Paulo, Brazil, in 2015.
Does the virus any other part of the brain?
The researchers found no evidence of the virus attacking any other part of the body but the brain. They believe that the virus selectively attacks the brain. however, they couldn't find out how the virus does it. (Read: A Zika infection may cost infants their vision, study finds it can affect the eyes)
They concluded that the high load of Zika viral particles in the brain and the absence of other possible pathogens and a complete viral genome was a strong enough evidence to link birth defects and the Zika virus.
Image source: Shutterstock
