Guillain Barré Syndrome News and Research

RSS

Guillain-Barré syndrome is an autoimmune disorder which results in the fast development of muscle weakness in a patient. It affects both women and men and can also impact anyone of any age although it can be more severe in the elderly.

Young men recovering from flu have increased risk of developing Guillain-Barré syndrome

This year's flu season has been one of the worst in recent memory causing thousands of people to be hospitalized. The virus can be particularly dangerous for young men who can experience nerve damage caused by the body's response to the flu.

2 Mar 2018

Breakthrough study on mosquito brains could crack the code to creating viable Zika vaccine

Deakin neuro-engineers have conducted an investigation into how mosquito brains are affected by the Zika virus, in a breakthrough study that could crack the code to creating a viable vaccine.

9 Feb 2018

PET imaging helps scientists to study progression of Zika virus infection in mice

For the first time, scientists have used Positron Emission Tomography imaging to study brain inflammation following Zika virus infection in mice, according to a study recently published online in the journal Molecular Imaging and Biology.

19 Sep 2017

Zika entry into India – cause for concern

The Zika virus has finally wormed its way into one of the largest and most densely populated countries in the world, India. The World Health Organization reported that surveillance efforts should be strengthened here in order to curb the menace and prevent its spread.

30 May 2017

Researchers find biological evidence linking Zika virus infection and Guillain-Barré syndrome

In a collaborative effort with scientists at six Colombian hospitals, Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers report what they believe to be the strongest biological evidence to date linking Zika virus infection and Guillain-Barré syndrome.

5 Oct 2016

Zika protection whilst traveling: an interview with Dr Crystal Aguh

The majority of the countries that are affected by the Zika virus are in the Caribbean. Many of the Caribbean Islands, including large islands such as Jamaica, Dominican Republic, Barbados and US Virgin Islands, as well as Mexico and other countries in Central and South America are affected.

16 Jun 2016

Experimental hepatitis C drug slows down development of Zika in mice

Virologists from KU Leuven, Belgium, have shown that an experimental antiviral drug against hepatitis C slows down the development of Zika in mice. The research team was led by Professor Johan Neyts from the Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy.

17 May 2016

WHO/PAHO statement on Zika virus and the 2016 Rio Olympic and Paralympic Games

The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) recognize that athletes and visitors are seeking more information on the risks of Zika and ways to prevent infection while attending the 2016 Rio Olympic and Paralympic Games (5 August to 18 September 2016).

16 May 2016

Study provides first evidence that Zika virus may cause Guillain-Barré syndrome

Analysis of blood samples from 42 patients diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) during the Zika virus outbreak in French Polynesia provides the first evidence that Zika virus might cause GBS, a severe neurological disorder, according to new research published in The Lancet today.

2 Mar 2016

Acute bulbar palsy variant of Guillain-Barré syndrome found

Researchers have identified a new variant form of Guillain-Barré syndrome that is characterised by prominent acute bulbar palsy without neck or limb weakness.

5 Jan 2016

Second GSK intramuscular quadrivalent influenza vaccine approved by the FDA

GlaxoSmithKline plc [LSE/NYSE: GSK] announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved FLULAVAL® QUADRIVALENT (Influenza Virus Vaccine) for the active immunization of persons three years of age and older to help prevent disease caused by seasonal influenza (flu) virus subtypes A and B contained in the vaccine.

19 Aug 2013

H1N1 flu vaccination associated with small excess risk of acquiring Guillain-Barré syndrome, but benefits outweigh risks

A meta-analysis of safety data gathered during the 2009 H1N1 vaccination programme in the US has established that the vaccination was associated with a small excess risk – about 1.6 extra cases per one million people vaccinated – of acquiring Guillain-Barré syndrome, a disorder of the nervous system which can result in temporary or more long-lasting paralysis and infrequently death. The authors conclude that the benefits of the 2009 H1N1 vaccination campaign greatly outweighed the risks.

14 Mar 2013

Cause of esodeviation differs in children, adults

Children who present with acute-onset esodeviation should be investigated for underlying central nervous system disorders, study findings indicate.

4 Feb 2013

Health risks associated with H1N1 vaccine investigated

Results from two studies published in JAMA show that the H1N1 vaccination is associated with a small, but significant, increase in risk for Guillain-Barré syndrome in adults, but does not increase the risk for birth defects or problems when given to pregnant women.

11 Jul 2012

Intravenous immune globulin effective treatment for GBS, CIDP

Intravenous immune globulin (IVIg) is an effective treatment for certain disorders of the nerve and muscles, including Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) and a form of neuropathy called chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP), according to a guideline issued by the American Academy of Neurology.

27 Mar 2012

Vampire bat causes rabies

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced the first death linked to a vampire bat. The victim’s mother reported that her son was bitten by a vampire bat on his heel while he was sleeping. At the time, the bite was not reported or treated in Mexico, where the bite occurred.

15 Aug 2011

Swine flu vaccine and risk of Guillain-Barré Syndrome

In a large five nation study from Europe it was seen that the use of adjuvanted vaccines against the pandemic H1N1 influenza virus probably did not increase the risk of Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS), but the investigators could not firmly rule out a slightly greater chance of suffering the paralytic condition.

13 Jul 2011

New study reaffirms safety of seasonal flu and H1N1 vaccines

Back in spring 2009, the H1N1 influenza virus crossed the U.S. border and raised concerns that it might cause a full-scale epidemic in the fall. The Food and Drug Administration worked with other Health and Human Services agencies and vaccine manufacturers to quickly develop, license and distribute a vaccine to protect the public from this particularly virulent strain of the flu.

5 Jul 2011

Nerve disorder expert Jack Griffin passes away

Jack Griffin, an internationally acclaimed and admired expert on diseases of the peripheral nervous system, founding director of the Johns Hopkins Brain Science Institute, and former director of Hopkins School of Medicine's Department of Neurology, died Saturday, April 16, after a long battle with bladder cancer. He was 69.

18 Apr 2011

New guideline recommends plasmapheresis usage to treat people with severe relapses in MS, neuropathies

A new guideline from the American Academy of Neurology recommends using plasma exchange to treat people with severe relapses in multiple sclerosis and related diseases, as well as those with certain kinds of nerve disorders known as neuropathies.

18 Jan 2011