A 14-year- old asthmatic girl from Jacó, who suffered dengue a year ago, became the first case of Guillain Barré Syndrome associated with Zika in Costa Rica. But what is Guillain Barré Syndrome and why it is linked to Zika?
This syndrome is a serious disease that occurs when the body’s defense mechanism attacks part of the nervous system.
This condition was little known in Costa Rica, but the World Health Organization gave a global alert on Zika, as the syndrome is one of the consequences of the virus.
The illness could occur after: a viral respiratory disease, experiencing an episode of high stress, herpes simplex, HlV-AIDS, gastroenteritis or surgery, when the body defenses are very low, and because of that, it is now linked to Zika.
Mario Gutiérrez, a neurologist at the National Rehabilitation Center and Clínica Bíblica, explained that the problem is related to the immune system.
It is a group of diseases that are characterized by neurological symptoms that usually occur after some kind of respiratory infections and also diarrhea,”
explained the specialist.
The syndrome has no age or gender preference. Simply, when a person suffers an infection with the presence of the Campylobacter jejuni (a bacteria that causes diarrhea with mucus and blood), then Zika can also be developed.
If about 10 days after an infection the patient feels tingling and numbness that starts in the toes and creeps up the body, it is recommended to go to the doctor in order to confirm the syndrome.
Gutiérrez explained that although this is a disease that has no cure, it does have a treatment.
It has its statistics. It is said that at least 30% of cases do well, another 30% of cases are left with some sequels, and 30% end up severely handicapped, that´s why we advised an early diagnosis,”
said the doctor.
Doctor Ana Peñaranda, a psychologist of the Guillain-Barré Syndrome Patients Association, located in San Rafael de Alajuela´s Hospital, said that within a few hours the person loses all mobility, it begins in the lower extremities and it goes up the body, affecting breathing and the heart. It also has an emotional impact, as the patient can´t take care of itself becoming dependent on others.
Mortality occurs in 4-5% of the cases, and some of the 95% of patients who survive, fully recover over two years, while others may suffer from minimal but important consequences.
Symptoms of Guillain Barré Syndrome include loss of reflexes in the arms and legs or muscle soreness, pain (may be a cramp-like pain), uncoordinated-movement, hypotension or poor blood pressure, heart rate alteration, blurred vision and double vision and difficulty to move facial muscles.
According to preliminary data from the Costa Rican Social Security Fund, 260 Costa Ricans were diagnosed with this disease in 2015, two more than in 2014.
Of these new patients, 178 were men and 82 were women.
The most common age range is between 45 and 64 years old, but it has also been reported in one-year old children.