Zika Virus May Increase The Risk Of Mental Illness

This Zika virus, which has existed for many years, being first discovered in 1947, but no long-term research has been done. Zika has only recently come to light for most of the public as in the early spring of 2015, increased reports of the Zika virus surfacing in the populace caused cautions of the mosquito born virus to be issued worldwide.

What is the Zika Virus?

The virus is spread throughout the public by a rather aggressive mosquito of the Aedes species. As the virus itself is referred to as being arthropod-borne, officials such the Communicable Disease Center (CDC) in the United States monitor any outbreak seriously, documenting specific outbreaks and noted infections. As a result, the Zika virus is considered a threat to women due to the link between pregnancy and the increased occurrence of Microcephaly with those who delivered after being exposed to the virus. Microcephaly is a rare neurological condition in which the brain of an unborn child does not develop fully often causing a smaller that normal head size. Unfortunately, the sight of a newbo
with a misshapen and shrunken head is heartbreaking; it may be only the 'tip of the iceberg' for the child as due to this as there is also an intellectual disability for the child. Doctors at the Center for Infection and Immunity at Columbia University note that we could be looking at a large upswing of such illnesses like autism, schizophrenia, epilepsy and A.D.H.D.

What about the link to mental illnesses?
As previously noted, researchers are concerned about the long-term effects on the unbo
and children born to those who have been infected during pregnancy. While more research needs to be done to make a full determination of the extent of disability is present, the fact that the child is exposed in utero shows that the virus is the dominate culprit. With the lack of extensive research concerning just the Zika virus, the theory remains that there is sufficient evidence that Utero exposure to other illnesses such as herpes, flu, rubella and a few others are linked to higher rates of mental disorders.

Additionally, mothers infected with the virus during pregnancy may deliver a baby that appears normal at birth, but may still be at a higher risk in later life for mental disorders. The reason for such concern is that the Zika virus seems to resemble some of the infectious agents that are linked to the development of bipolar disorders, schizophrenia, and autism. While many debilitating mental illnesses seem to have the not single cause, research shows that in utero illnesses may be a trigger.

Of recent, with more and more research being done throughout the world on the Zika virus it is well noted that these utero illnesses wreck havoc on the unborn children of those exposed. Let's look past the Zika, and toward the historical aspects of other viruses experienced during pregnancy. As Zika seems to appear similar to rubella, if we looked at the statistics of rubella from just 1964-1965 when rubella was in the epidemic stage we see the amazing results; over 3500 newborns were born blind, over 11,000 blind and some 1800 developed mental problems. Since the Zika effects seem to mimic rubella, such as a mild rash and flu-like symptoms, researchers believe the results could be similar.

Does an adult recovering from Zika need worry about mental illness?
There is no current evidence linking mental illness to adults in a recovery status. Guillain-Barre syndrome is a concern perhaps but affects mostly the immune system and in some cases, the nervous system. Therefore, those mostly affected by any threat of mental disorder are those children born to exposed parents.