"Scientists in Brazil have uncovered a new brain disorder associated with Zika infections in adults: an autoimmune syndrome called acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, or ADEM, that attacks the brain and spinal cord.

Zika has already been linked with the autoimmune disorder Guillain-Barre syndrome, which attacks peripheral nerves outside the brain and spinal cord, causing temporary paralysis that can in some cases require patients to rely on respirators for breathing.

The new discovery now shows Zika may provoke an immune attack on the central nervous system as well.

The findings add to the growing list of neurological damage associated with Zika."

Julie Steenhuysen reports for Reuters April 10, 2016. [2]

SEE ALSO:

"US Officials: The More We Know About Zika, The Scarier It Is" (AP) [3]

"A Zika Catastrophe Could Rival Hurricane Katrina" (Atlantic) [4]

"Is Zika A Permanent Threat Or A Fleeting Scare?" (Stat) [5]

"Mosquitoes Are Spreading Zika. Your Neighbors Aren’t Helping" (Stat) [6]