Zika Virus: Mosquito-Borne Disease Might Be Linked To Guillain-Barré Syndrome

Zika virus has been linked to microcephaly and it may also be connected to some serious cases of Guillain-Barré, a paralyzing syndrome which can leave victims on life-support, the CDC said. According to different reports, the rare nerve condition causes muscle weakness that generally begins in the legs and spreads to the arms and face, and can cause numbness, trouble walking and even limb paralysis.

"Guillain-Barré syndrome is an autoimmune disorder in which the body usually is responding to another infection. It has an immune response that destroys the covering of nerves and interferes with the ability of nerves to function and survive," said Dr. Bruce Hirsch, an infectious diseases specialist at North Shore University Hospital, in Manhasset, New York. "When it involves the muscles of respiration, people who have Guillain-Barré require a breathing machine in order to survive and get through experience."

The disease specialists added that everyone is at risk, "what's disturbing to me as an infectious diseases doctor is that until yesterday, my understanding of Zika is that the only risk was if you're a pregnant woman, and now there's a risk to anyone if this association [to Guillain-Barré] turns out to be substantiated."