Zika symptoms the same as Alzheimer’s? Virus causes brain damage similar to disease

Researchers said the virus, which has affected more than seventy Britons, enters the brain of adults and can ‘wreak havoc’. 

They have called for all adults infected with Zika to be monitored — not just pregnant women. 

The mosquito-borne causes microcephaly, a serious birth defect which causes babies to be born with brain damage and small heads and possibly even joint deformities. 

However the virus was thought to have a minimal effect on adults — other than pregnant women.

Most people infected with the virus don’t show any major symptoms, although some do experience flu — including headaches, fever and pain in joints    
    
Challenges in solving problems — People with Alzheimer's often find it difficult to concentrate on things such as following a recipe 
Difficulty completing daily tasks — Some people will struggle to complete familiar tasks such as remembering the rules to a favourite game
Misplacing things — We have all forgotten where we have put the keys but doing this on a regular basis or finding them in strange places may be a sign of Alzheimer's

Visual problems — A person Alzheimer's may also find judging colour and distance a problem, so driving and reading become difficult
Losing track of time and dates — Worryingly some people suffering from Alzheimer's can forget where they are or how they got there. The can also loose track of dates

Words and conversation become a challenge — Joining a conversation may prove tricky as suffers tend to forget the vocabulary they want to use 
Avoiding social activities — When struggling to remember a favourite sports team or rules of the game, suffers can feel confused and withdraw from events and hobbies they once loved

Poor judgement — People with Alzheimer's may experience poor judgement such as paying too much money in shops or a decreased level of cleanliness and grooming
But new research shows the effect of Zika could be more dangerous. 

An experiment using mice engineers to mimic the human zika infection show that the virus attacks immature cells in the adult brain, which are vital to learning and memory.

Over time, the scientists said, the loss of these ‘progenitor’ stem cells could lead to brain shrinkage and the type of cognitive decline which is seen in people suffering with Alzheimer’s disease. 

Professor Sujan Shresta, a member of the team from the La Jolla Institute of Allergy and Immunology in California, USA, said: "Zika can clearly enter the brain of adults and can wreak havoc.

“But it's a complex disease — it's catastrophic for early brain development, yet the majority of adults who are infected with Zika rarely show detectable symptoms.