Ophthalmic and Nervous System Lesions Associated with Suspected Congenital Zika Virus Infection: Literature Review

You are here

Laboratorinė medicina. 2016,
t. 18,
Nr. 2,
p. 102 -
106

Zika virus is an etiological factor of virai Zika infection which belongs to Flavivirus genus, Flaviviridae family. Zika vi­rus is transmitted by mosquitoes of Aedes genus, which are active in mornings, late afternoons and evenings, reservoir being unknown. It is expected that the incubation period holds on a few days. Zika vi­rus infection can be asymptomatic (80% patients) or last for 2-7 days with mild clinical symptoms, such as fever, maculopapular rash, conjunctivitis, headache, arthralgia and myalgia. The disease is diagnosed using the reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Currently there is no antiviral treatment and no vaccine. In all trimesters of pregnancy infectious agent can be transmitted to the fetus. It is described in the literature evidence of a link between Zika virus and microcephaly, other nervous system abnormalities (ventriculomegaly, lissencephaly, pachygyria, agyria, hydranencephaly, hypoplasia of the corpus callosum, increased subarachnoid space, decreased cerebral mantle, intracranial calcifications) and fatal clinical outcomes. Suspected congenital Zika virus infection is associated with these signs of eyes damage: optic nerve abnormalities (hypoplasia with double-ring sign, pallor, and/or increased cup-to-disk ratio), macular alterations (gross pigment mottling and/or chorioretinal atro- phy), iris coloboma, lens subluxation, intracranial calcifications. In this study we review and summarise ophthalmic, nervous system lesions and fatal clinical outcomes determined by suspected congenital Zika virus infection, according to recent literature data.

© 2024, Lithuanian Society of Laboratory Medicine