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Case Reports
. 2016 Nov 2;95(5):1161-1165.
doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.16-0397. Epub 2016 Oct 17.

Guillain-Barré Syndrome Associated with Zika Virus Infection in a Traveler Returning from Guyana

Ryan G Fabrizius  1 , Kathryn Anderson  1   2 , Brett Hendel-Paterson  1   3 , Robyn M Kaiser  3 , Salahudin Maalim  1   3 , Patricia F Walker  4   3
Affiliations
Case Reports

Guillain-Barré Syndrome Associated with Zika Virus Infection in a Traveler Returning from Guyana

Ryan G Fabrizius et al. Am J Trop Med Hyg. .

Abstract

Zika virus (ZIKV) is a mosquito-borne flavivirus with a significant public health impact highlighted by the ongoing epidemic in the Americas. We describe a 44-year-old male presenting to our tropical medicine center with complaints of fever, headache, joint pain, and rash after recent travel to Guyana. The patient subsequently developed gait imbalance and lower extremity weakness with clinical examination, cerebrospinal fluid studies, and magnetic resonance imaging of the spine consistent with a diagnosis of Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS). ZIKV infection was confirmed via detection of ZIKV RNA in urine by polymerase chain reaction. The patient was treated with intravenous immunoglobulin and experienced near-complete neurologic recovery, reporting ongoing mild paresthesia up to 2 months later. This case highlights the diagnostic challenges posed by ZIKV and underscores the need for clinician awareness of the potential for neurological complications such as GBS with ZIKV infection.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Magnetic resonance imaging of lumbar spine showing enhancement of lumbar nerve roots and cauda equina (blue arrow), a finding often seen in Guillain–Barré syndrome.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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