Zika virus infection in pregnant women may be linked to hydrops fetalis and fetal demise, according to a case report published online Feb. 25 in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases.
A 20-year-old pregnant woman without history or signs of Zika virus infection was referred to the Hospital Geral Roberto Santos in Salvador, Brazil, in the 18th week of gestation because of low fetal weight, but by week 26 and 30, ultrasound examinations showed microcephaly, hydranencephaly, intracranial calcifications, destructive lesions of posterior fossa, and evidence of hydrothorax, ascites, and subcutaneous edema.
CDC/ Cynthia Goldsmith
Ultrasound examination at week 32 showed fetal demise, and after delivery, researchers found evidence of Zika virus in the brain and in the cerebrospinal and amniotic fluid, but not in the heart, lung, liver, eye, or placenta (PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2016 Feb 25. doi: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0004517).
“This case report of a fetus provides additional evidence for the link between ZIKV [Zika virus] infection and microcephaly,” wrote Dr. Manoel Sarno of Hospital Geral Roberto Santos, and his coauthors. “Furthermore, it serves as an alert to clinicians that in addition to central nervous system and ophthalmological manifestations, congenital ZIKV infection may cause hydrops fetalis and fetal demise.”
The researchers reported having no financial disclosures.