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Doctors have attributed some deaths to complications of Zika virus. First, however, know that infections are almost always mild, and people recover fully within about a week. Four out of five people have no symptoms at all. But experts have found a possible link between Zika and Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS), a condition in which the immune system begins to attack the nerves. Most people recover from GBS, too, but in rare cases it can lead to paralysis and death. In Colombia, doctors announced in February 2015 that they had attributed several deaths to GBS brought on by Zika virus. The connection between Zika and GBS still isn't fully understood, though. Zika has also been linked in rare cases to other neurological problems, such as meningoencephalitis.
Zika could be fatal in another way. The virus has been strongly linked with a birth defect called microcephaly, which causes infants to be born with small heads and underdeveloped brains. These babies may be stillborn or die after birth.
Zika could be fatal in another way. The virus has been strongly linked with a birth defect called microcephaly, which causes infants to be born with small heads and underdeveloped brains. These babies may be stillborn or die after birth.
Continue Learning about Zika Virus
Zika Virus
Zika virus is a tropical disease that is spread by Aedes species of mosquitoes. Until 2015, the virus was limited to small outbreaks in regions of Africa, Asia and the Pacific Islands. Mosquitoes can pick up the virus by biting an ...
n infected person, and then transmit it to someone else they bite later. The virus doesn’t generally spread from person to person directly, though sexual transmission is possible.
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