Venezuelan health officials are looking into whether fifteen people suffering from Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) are linked to infection with the mosquito borne virus, Zika, according to a El Nacional report. Elia Sanchez, President of The Venezuelan Society of Infectious Diseases said, “We found cases with neurological complications. We responsibly wanted to have the specific etiological evidence that would allow us to confirm whether they are related to zika virus before reporting.

“To study these cases, we are determining that meet the criteria: it is frankly a neurological event with flaccid paralysis of limbs and cranial nerve palsies, and you have a suggestion or confirmation that they arise from a virus.”

Guillain-Barre syndrome is a rare disorder in which your body’s immune system attacks your nerves. Weakness and tingling in your extremities are usually the first symptoms, according to the Mayo Clinic. The exact cause of Guillain-Barre syndrome is unknown. But it is often preceded by an infectious illness such as a respiratory infection or the stomach flu. In French Polynesia, Brazil and El Salvador there has been increased development of the syndrome as a complication in people who suffered zika.

http://outbreaknewstoday.com/venezuela-investigates-gbs-cases-link-to-zika-virus-47089/