Autoimmune diseases; Congenital abnormalities; Causality; Zika virus; Systematic review; Living systematic review; Emerging infectious diseases; Guillain-Barré syndrome
Counotte Michel Jacques, Meili Kaspar Walter, Taghavi Katayoun, Calvet Guilherme, Sejvar James, Low Nicola (2019), Zika virus infection as a cause of congenital brain abnormalities and Guillain-Barré syndrome: A living systematic review, in
F1000Research, 8, 1433-1433.
Counotte Michel Jacques, Kim Caron Rahn, Wang Jingying, Bernstein Kyle, Deal Carolyn D., Broutet Nathalie Jeanne Nicole, Low Nicola (2018), Sexual transmission of Zika virus and other flaviviruses: A living systematic review, in
PLOS Medicine, 15(7), e1002611-e1002611.
Counotte Michel Jacques, Egli-Gany Dianne, Riesen Maurane, Abraha Million, Porgo Teegwendé Valérie, Wang Jingying, Low Nicola (2018), Zika virus infection as a cause of congenital brain abnormalities and Guillain-Barré syndrome: From systematic review to living systematic review, in
F1000Research, 7, 196-196.
Kim Caron R, Counotte Michel, Bernstein Kyle, Deal Carolyn, Mayaud Philippe, Low Nicola, Broutet Nathalie (2018), Investigating the sexual transmission of Zika virus, in
The Lancet Global Health, 6(1), e24-e25.
Bernstein Kyle, Bowen Virginia B., Kim Caron R., Counotte Michel J., Kirkcaldy Robert D., Kara Edna, Bolan Gail, Low Nicola, Broutet Nathalie (2017), Re-emerging and newly recognized sexually transmitted infections: Can prior experiences shed light on future identification and control?, in
PLOS Medicine, 14(12), e1002474-e1002474.
Krauer Fabienne, Riesen Maurane, Reveiz Ludovic, Oladapo Olufemi, Martinez-Vega Ruth, Porgo Teegwende, Haefliger Anina, Broutet Nathalie, Low Nicola (2017), Zika Virus Infection as a Cause of Congenital Brain Abnormalities and Guillain-Barré Syndrome: Systematic Review, in
PLoS Medicine, 14(1), e1002203.
Background: An explosive pandemic of Zika virus infection has caught the research world by surprise. On February 1 2016, barely a year after the introduction of a new arbovirus infection in Brazil, a Public Health Emergency of International Concern was triggered by clusters of Guillain-Barré syndrome and microcephaly. By the end of March 2016, scientific opinion about the causal role of Zika virus in these conditions had increased. This project started in February 2016 to systematically appraise the evidence for causality in a theoretically grounded framework.Objectives: 1) To establish a “living systematic review” to assess and continuously update evidence about causal links between Zika virus infection and: a) auto-immune mediated disorders such as Guillain-Barré syndrome and idiopathic thrombocytopaenia purpura; b) acute central nervous system disorders and c) congenital anomalies, and 2) To determine incidence and factors associated with congenital anomalies and adverse pregnancy outcomes in pregnant women infected with Zika virus.Methods: 1) We have developed a causality framework, based on the Bradford Hill list of dimensions of causation, to define specific questions about causal links between Zika virus and neurological and congenital conditions. We apply state-of-the-art systematic review methods to search, select and appraise the literature about each causality dimension and each condition in the rapidly evolving field of Zika research. We will develop the specification for a platform for “living systematic reviews” that can be continuously updated to track causal research in future emerging infectious diseases. 2) We will develop a protocol for a cohort study of pregnant women in Brazil and a protocol for an individual patient data meta-analysis that will allow pooled analyses of data from this and other ongoing cohort studies. These analyses will allow us to examine risk factors for Zika virus transmission in pregnancy and to develop and validate criteria that could define a congenital Zika syndrome.Timeline: This is a one year project. The next research objectives will depend on the results of this project and the spread of Zika in this emergency situation.Importance and impact: The Zika virus pandemic has presented new challenges for infectious disease control. There is no other known mosquito-borne flaviviral infection that is very probably teratogenic. Without a vaccine or treatment, Zika will be a continuing problem and new complications may emerge. This project has already had an impact, by providing rapid systematic appraisals to the WHO Director General about the status of research into causal associations between Zika virus and neurological complications. The project is urgent because of the need for ongoing rapid systematic appraisal and synthesis of the emerging and enlarging evidence base. The project is important because our approach will provide sustainable methods, in collaboration with international agencies, that will be transferable to future emerging infectious disease epidemics.