Study Finds Link Between Zika and Guillain-Barre

KYW's Medical Reports Sponsored By Independence Blue Cross

By Dr. Brian McDonough, Medical Editor

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Zika virus continues to be a major health issue and the more we study Zika, the more we are learning.

The Zika outbreak in Colombia has been studied and researchers have found that 40% of patients with Guillain-Barré syndrome tested positive for Zika virus infection during the Zika outbreak in that country.

The numbers are not large but they tell us a great deal: of the 68 patients with Guillain-Barré syndrome, 42 underwent laboratory testing for the presence of Zika virus, and 17 of those patients (40%) had a confirmed positive test.

The New England Journal of Medicine article also found the symptoms occurred quite quickly: patients reported neurological symptoms either during or immediately after reporting symptoms of Zika virus infection.