A biologist works on putting blood on iron plates to feed the females of the nursery that produces genetically modified mosquitoes on February 11, 2016 in Campinas, Brazil. (Photo : Getty Images/Victor Moriyama)
Zika virus has long been associated with an increased cases of microcephaly among infants. However, a recent study has confirmed that the virus can also affect adult brains.
Zika virus has been known since 1947, but its outbreak came into limelight in 2015 in Brazil when health authorities noticed a sharp increase in the number of microcephaly cases in infants. Microcephaly is a rare condition that arises due to incomplete development of the brain in babies.
The link between Zika infection and microcephaly was long suspected, however, it was confirmed recently by a team of researchers. Now a new study published in the journal Cell Stem Cell suggests that the virus is capable of not just affecting the fetal cells, but adult brain cells as well.
The study conducted by a team of researchers from the Rockefeller University describes that the Zika virus can infect the brain regions critical to memory and learning. The researchers describe the findings as "surprising" and say that till date, most of the concerns surrounding the Zika virus have been limited to pregnant women.
"Neural progenitor" are a type of stem cells that form the brain in the developing fetuses. It is a known fact that these cells are susceptible to infection by the Zika virus. As a result, the development and growth of the brain in fetuses may be hindered because of Zika infection.
The neurons present in adults are resistant to Zika infection and this is the primary reason why fetuses are at a greater risk of getting infected by Zika virus.
However, in the recent study, researchers say that some neural progenitor cells continue to remain in adults that help replenish neurons in the brain. The team thus discovered that the Zika virus can also infect the neural progenitor cells present in adults as well.
"We asked whether [these cells] were vulnerable to Zika in the same way the fetal brain is," researcher Joseph Glesson told the Washington Post. "The answer is definitely yes."
However, the team does believe that Zika infection is a complex disease. While it drastically impacts brain development in a case of the fetus, Zika infection in adults may rarely show a symptom. The team is now planning to see the exact effect of the virus on the adult brain.
The following video talks about Top 10 Zika virus facts:
