Neurologic Complications
A temporal and geographic relationship has been observed between Guillain–Barré syndrome and Zika virus outbreaks in the Pacific and the Americas.19,21,72-74 In the outbreak in French Polynesia, 38 cases of Guillain–Barré syndrome occurred among an estimated 28,000 persons who sought medical care.19 A case–control study in French Polynesia revealed a strong association (odds ratio, >34) between Guillain–Barré syndrome and previous Zika virus infection; the findings from electrophysiological studies were compatible with the acute motor axonal neuropathy subtype of Guillain–Barré syndrome.75 Meningoencephalitis76 and acute myelitis77 complicating Zika virus infection also have been reported.
Clinical manifestations of Zika virus infection occur in 20 to 25 percent of individuals who become infected with Zika virus. Outside areas with mosquito transmission, the likelihood of Zika virus infection among asymptomatic individuals is low