#11,226
The World Health Organization has published an update on the Microcephaly case reported by the media on the island of Martinique 9 days ago (see Crofsblog A case of microcephaly seems to be confirmed in Martinique). This case was also mentioned in yesterday's WHO Zika SitRep.
Of particular interest, the mother appears to have been infected with Zika (and Chikungunya), as early as the first week of December. Yet amniotic fluid and fetal blood samples tested positive (by PCR) for the Zika virus more than three months later.
The mother's antibodies for both Zika and Chikungunya adds yet another wrinkle to this report, and will likely once again raise questions over whether any co-factors might be contributing in some way to these severe outcomes.
I've only included the case details, follow the link to read the full report.
Microcephaly – France - Martinique
On 24 March 2016, the National IHR Focal Point for France notified PAHO/WHO of a foetus with concomitant microcephaly and Zika virus infection in Martinique.
The diagnosis of microcephaly was made at 22 weeks and one day of pregnancy on 10 March. On 17 March, the foetus’s samples were collected and tested at the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire of Martinique in Fort-de-France: both amniotic fluid and foetal blood samples resulted positive for Zika virus infection by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). On 22 March, the National Reference Center for arboviruses confirmed the infection with Zika virus.
On 7 December, the patient’s mother was sampled and a serology test confirmed infection with Flavivirus and alphavirus. A second serology test, which was conducted on 7 January, showed IgG antibodies against flavivirus and chikungunya virus as well as IgM antibodies against Zika virus. A third serology test, which was conducted on 11 February, confirmed once again the presence of IgG antibodies against flavivirus and chikungunya virus. These tests provide evidence that the mother was positive for Zika virus infection. A medical termination of the pregnancy was recommended to the mother.
WHO risk assessment
This is the first case of Zika virus infection detected in a foetus with microcephaly in Martinique. This report is important because it offers a prospective documentation of Zika virus infection in a mother and a foetus. The information presented here allows the estimation of the stages of pregnancy at which the mother and the foetus became infected. It shows that a foetus can be PCR-positive for Zika virus months after the initial infection of the mother. Furthermore, this report provides additional evidence that infection with Zika virus early in pregnancy could be associated with an increased risk of microcephaly. Further investigations, however, will be required to fully comprehend the role of Zika virus infection in the development of congenital abnormalities, such as microcephaly, and to establish any causative links. WHO continues to monitor the epidemiological situation and conduct risk assessment based on the latest available information.
(Continue . . . )
