Concerns over Zika virus have focused on pregnant women due to increasing evidence that it causes brain defects in developing fetuses. Scientists thought that Zika was only dangerous for developing babies and did not believe the virus posed serious problems for adults. However, new research in mice from Rockefeller University and La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology suggests that Zika virus can also infect the brain cells of adults, causing long term damage to memory.
The mosquito-borne infection has already been linked to microcephaly—a severe birth defect in which babies are born with severe brain damage and small heads. Recent experiments using mice show that the Zika virus also attacks neural progenitor stem cells in the ADULT brain that serve to replace lost or damaged neurons throughout life, and are also thought to be critical to learning and memory. These stem cells represent our “reserve” and preserving them is absolutely crucial! Over time, loss of these cells could lead to brain atrophy (shrinkage) and the devastating kind of memory loss seen in Alzheimer’s disease
Comments from Dr. Thomas: While there is no drug or vaccine yet available to treat Zika virus, a recent study found high-dose intravenous vitamin C to be effective: Click here. Our intravenous vitamin C therapy has already been shown to be effective in treating other serious infections, such as Lyme disease and Epstein-Barr virus, as well as cardiovascular disease and cancer. For more information, please contact my office.
