Guillain-Barre Syndrome Definition, Signs & Symptoms: Zika Outbreak Also Linked to Rare Nerve Disorder in Latin American Countries

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The Zika outbreak is posing great health concerns across Latin America nowadays, especially among pregnant women whose babies are at risk for microcephaly, a birth defect linked to the mosquito-borne virus. And now there's one more thing to worry about.

Health officials from some countries in the region are now looking into the possible association of the dreaded Zika virus with yet another rare condition that could lead to serious health risks such as muscle weakness, paralysis and even death.

A jump in the number of Guillain-Barré syndrome cases among patients who are more likely to have been infected by the Zika virus were reported in countries like French Polynesia, Brazil and El Salvador. Health officials said that more research has to be conducted in order to establish whether the Zika virus infection, indeed, has something to do with the surge in Guillain-Barré syndrome cases, according to a report from the CBS News.

"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.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are about 3,000 to 6,000 people, on the average, who develop Guillain-Barré syndrome in the country every year. While most patients recover completely from the condition, there are instances where it is not without long-term adverse effect, such as nerve damage. And, in rare cases, death is also a possibility as a result of difficulty in breathing.

There is no single cause for Guillain-Barré syndrome and as people grow older, they become more prone in developing the condition, particularly after reaching the age of 50. The symptoms may develop after a couple of weeks and up to a month after an infection like cold and sore throat occurs. It starts in a person's feet and hands before spreading to the arms and legs. Patients can experience pain, tingling, numbness, progressive muscle weakness and inability in walking on one's own, says NHS.

"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," Hirsch also added.