Pregnancy problems not necessarily linked to Zika viral load or Dengue fever

FINDINGSUCLA-led researchers have found that Zika viral load and the degree of Zika symptoms during pregnancy were not necessarily associated with problems during pregnancy or fetal abnormalities at birth. They also found that the presence of antibodies to previously acquired dengue fever was not necessarily connected to abnormalities during pregnancy or at birth.BACKGROUNDCongenital Zika virus syndrome — a pattern of birth defects found among fetuses and babies infected with the virus — is a newly identified condition that occurs when women are infected during pregnancy. It is unknown to what degree the amount of Zika virus in the mother, the extent of Zika symptoms or the presence of prior de ngue antibodies contribute to the syndrome. Laboratory studies suggest there is a phenomenon called antibody dependent enhancement, in which the presence of pre-existing dengue antibodies would enhance Zika’s virulence, increasing risk to the fetus. Clinical studies, however, have found no evidenc e of this. It has also been unclear whether a high viral load, or the presence of Zika symptoms, would be associated with risk of harm to the fetus, or if there is a direct relationship between the amount of virus in the blood and severity of symptoms in the mother.METHODResearchers developed an assessment tool to gauge severity of symptoms based on duration of fever, degree of rash, how many parts of the body were affected and duration of symptoms during Zika infection. Zika viral load...
Source: UCLA Newsroom: Health Sciences - Category: Universities & Medical Training Source Type: news