The World Health Organization says the Guillain-Barre neurological disorder is on the rise

U.S.News Health (AP) ^ | Feb. 13, 2016 | KIRSTEN GRIESHABER

[PA Engineer]

The World Health Organization says the Guillain-Barre neurological disorder is on the rise in several Latin American countries that are also seeing an outbreak of the Zika virus

BERLIN (AP) - A rare neurological disorder is on the rise in several Latin American countries that are also seeing an outbreak of the Zika virus' the World Health Organization said Saturday.

The U.N. health body in Geneva said in a weekly report that Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS), which can cause temporary paralysis, has been reported in Brazil, Colombia, El Salvador, Suriname and Venezuela.

The increase in Guillain-Barre cases is appearing in conjunction with the spread of the Zika virus to 34 countries and also with increasing cases of microcephaly, a rare condition in which infants are born with abnormally small heads.

However, the health agency said "the cause of the increase in GBS incidence ... remains unknown, especially as dengue, chikungunya and Zika virus have all been circulating simultaneously in the Americas."

While "no scientific evidence to date confirms a link between Zika virus and microcephaly or GBS," the agency pointed out that GBS was also observed during the 2013-14 Zika virus outbreak in French Polynesia.

[PA Engineer]

The real medical issue with the Zika Virus is not microcephaly (however it may be politically), but Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS).

There are a few misrepresentations in this article.

First, the paralysis may be temporary or it may not be. In many cases the paralysis results in the need for extended ventilator use for respiration.

Second, during the outbreak in French Polynesia the background incidence of GBS went from 2 per 100,000 to 488 per 100,000. This increase occurred with approximately 8600 known infections. The age of the infected population ranged from the mid 30s to the mid 50s.

The infection rate nearly collapsed the French Polynesian health system.

[PA Engineer]

Ping

[SaraJohnson]

Vaccines have been connected to GBS. South America has been the target of bad vaccine programs, too. The Catholic church discovered vaccines being given in Africa and South America which sterilized the victims.

In addition, they are newly vaccinating pregnant women in Brazil.

[soycd]

The key to Staying Alive ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_izvAbhExY&index=6&list=PLGBuKfnErZlAkaUUy57-mR97f8SBgMNHh

[PA Engineer]

ZIKA Virus belongs to the family of flavivirus as does the West Nile Virus (WNV).

GBS is associated with flavivirus infection. Some background on WNV and GBS

Acute Flaccid Paralysis and West Nile Virus Infection

Here is a case study and discussion of ZIKA virus infection and GBS from French Polynesia:

ZIKA VIRUS INFECTION COMPLICATED BY GUILLAIN BARRE SYNDROME - CASE REPORT, FRENCH POLYNESIA, DECEMBER 2013

[CaptainK]

When did the outbreak happen in French Polynesian?

[Mr Ramsbotham]

It wouldn't surprise me at all if some vaccine or vaccines were responsible. They can play havoc with the immune system. I'm not anti-vaccination, but I am most definitely pro using them judiciously, and not jumping on every new one that comes down the pike professing to be the salvation of the human race.

[PA Engineer]

It was a very "acute" epidemic from early 2013 to 2014 and disappeared.

From NPR (some problems with their reporting but fairly accurate):

Zika In French Polynesia: It Struck Hard In 2013, Then Disappeared

Interesting read and covers other virus detections previous to French Polynesia.

[angry elephant]

My sister, half French, who lives in Minnesota had GBS about 15 years ago. Apparently others of French extraction in Minnesota have had it as well.

Hers lasted for about a year and she pretty much recovered and has worked steadily since then. No respirators but does need to watch fatigue levels and eat regularly.

[SC DOC]

There is a good possibility that FDR had Guillain-Barre rather than polio.

[annieokie]

The Swine flu shot back in the 80’s caused my dads GB and death. I was such a horrible thing to watch as it slowly paralyzed every muscle in his body starting with the feet and went up. None of my family will ever take that flu shot, or anything the gov’t says you need to take.

[mumblypeg]

Had a family member with serious case of GBS years ago, when little was known about it.
Started out like a mild case of the flu; he’d had poor diet and long work hours for awhile, so he was chronically tired. Within 48 hours he was paralyzed. He could not even blink his eyes and the nurses had to close his eyelids for him, and even used a solution to hydrate his eyeballs, to keep them from drying out.

The paralysis curled him into the fetal position for over a year before it slowly began to dissipate. Then he required a year of physical therapy to relearn voluntary muscle movement.. He needed specially designed mechanical gizmos strapped to his wrists to hold writing and eating utensils, and he walked with leg braces for years afterward.
Several of the men in our family have the gene. We’re wary of flu-like symptoms, and must take care to keep immune system strong with healthy food and vitamins.

GBS ain’t nuttin’ nice.

[PA Engineer]

I did not know that. Thanks for the link.

[BookmanTheJanitor]

I got it when I was a junior in college. Spent a long time in the hospital and almost a year recovering. It took me quite some time to walk again.

It was until I had a very sick child of my own that I fully realized the hell that my parents went through.

[palmer]

From your link: The possible link between the Zika virus and birth defects only emerged last year after health officials in Brazil reported hundreds of thousands of Zika cases. Those reports out of Brazil prompted researchers in French Polynesia to do a retrospective investigation to search for congenital abnormalities that may have been caused by the virus. Van-Mai says they found a disturbingly high number of birth defects.

The "disturbingly high" number in the article is 15 and they don't give the total number of births and miscarriages. The numbers of birth defects in Brazil were up to 10 times the previous numbers but the previous numbers were underreported by 4-5 times. Realistically there is only an anecdotal link at this point but the media is treating it like a sure thing.

[SaraJohnson]

I’m so sorry your family suffered like this. : (

[SaraJohnson]

Be especially careful because they don’t test them properly before releasing them on targeted populations. Both South America and Africa have been targeted in the past. Americans are a bit more informed and less trusting. But they would do it to us in a nanosecond if they thought they could get away with it.

[SaraJohnson]

Thanks.

[PA Engineer]

Agreed. The encephalopathy "findings" have been highly political and associative.

The GBS issue has been almost completely ignored and has a substantial viral etiology.

[PA Engineer]

Very welcome.