In a recent study that has put the menace of the Zika virus in further perspective, it has been discovered that babies who are infected with the virus in the womb might be born with one of the rarest joint disorders. As per reports in the website LiveScience," A small number of babies infected with Zika virus in the womb have developed a rare birth defect involving muscle weakness and stiff joints, according to a new report of the cases.The report suggests that this birth defect, called arthrogryposis, is linked with Zika virus infection in pregnancy, adding to the list of health problems tied to the virus.
Infection with Zika virus in pregnancy has already been found to cause thebirth defect microcephaly, which means a child has an abnormally small brain and head. The virus has also been linked with eye problems, hearing loss and impaired growth, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In fact, researchers are now referring to the range of health problems linked to Zika virus infection in the womb as "congenital Zika syndrome," although the researchersare still trying to figure out all of the health problems that this syndrome might involve."
The report went on to add, "The researchers analyzed information from seven babies who had arthrogryposis and were born in Brazil, the country where the recent Zika outbreak began in early 2015. Arthrogryposis is rare; in the United States, it occurs in about one in every 3,000 live births. The name of this condition literally means "crooked joints" in Greek. Babies with arthrogryposis have restricted movement in some of their joints, and sometimes the joints are stuck in a single position, according to Seattle Children's Hospital.
Six out of the seven babies in the report also had microcephaly, and all of the babies had signs of being infected while they were in the womb. Two of the babies tested positive for Zika virus in their cerebrospinal fluid. The rest of the babies did not receive Zika tests, because the test is not available routinely in Brazil. But the researchers said they presume that all of the babies were infected with Zika, because all of the infants tested negative for other infections that can cause microcephaly. "
