Zika virus infection and psychosis

Joob, Beuy; Wiwanitkit, Viroj

doi:10.1590/1516-4446-2017-2561

We read the publication on “Zika virus infection followed by a first episode of psychosis” with great interest.¹ Corrêa-Oliveira et al. noted that “to the best of our knowledge, this is the first report in which psychiatric symptoms were the only complication of acute ZIKV infection”¹ and concluded that “Neuroimmune mechanisms leading to psychosis during acute CNS stress is an open and prolific field for research.”¹ In fact, a wide clinical spectrum of Zika virus infection has been reported, and psychological problems are possible.²,³ Neuropsychiatric problems as the only clinical presentation in acute Zika virus disease is not a new finding. At least, psychotic features in acute Zika virus infection have already been observed in cases in which meningoencephalitis was later proved.⁴ In the Zika virus infection with meningoencephalitis, spatial delusions with visual and kinesthetic hallucinations are observable.⁵

References

¹ Corrêa-Oliveira GE, do Amaral JL, da Fonseca BA, Del-Ben CM. Zika virus infection followed by a first episode of psychosis: another flavivirus leading to pure psychiatric symptomatology. Rev Bras Psiquiatr. 2017;39:381-2.
² Joob B, Yasser F. Phenotypic spectrum of congenital Zika syndrome: a comment on the usefulness of case report. Case Study Case Rep. 2017;7:29-30.
³ Pinheiro TJ, Guimarães LF, Silva MT, Soares CN. Neurological manifestations of Chikungunya and Zika infections. Arq Neuropsiquiatr. 2016;74:937-43.
⁴ Schwartzmann PV, Ramalho LN, Neder L, Vilar FC, Ayub-Ferreira SM, Romeiro MF, et al. Zika virus meningoencephalitis in an immunocompromised patient. Mayo Clin Proc. 2017;92:460-6.
⁵ Carteaux G, Maquart M, Bedet A, Contou D, Brugières P, Fourati S, et al. Zika virus associated with meningoencephalitis. N Engl J Med. 2016;374:1595-6.

Publication Dates

Publication in this collection
Jan-Mar 2018

History

Received
27 June 2017
Accepted
29 July 2017

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License, which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

[1] ¹ Corrêa-Oliveira GE, do Amaral JL, da Fonseca BA, Del-Ben CM. Zika virus infection followed by a first episode of psychosis: another flavivirus leading to pure psychiatric symptomatology. Rev Bras Psiquiatr. 2017;39:381-2.

[2] ² Joob B, Yasser F. Phenotypic spectrum of congenital Zika syndrome: a comment on the usefulness of case report. Case Study Case Rep. 2017;7:29-30.

[3] ³ Pinheiro TJ, Guimarães LF, Silva MT, Soares CN. Neurological manifestations of Chikungunya and Zika infections. Arq Neuropsiquiatr. 2016;74:937-43.

[4] ⁴ Schwartzmann PV, Ramalho LN, Neder L, Vilar FC, Ayub-Ferreira SM, Romeiro MF, et al. Zika virus meningoencephalitis in an immunocompromised patient. Mayo Clin Proc. 2017;92:460-6.

[5] ⁵ Carteaux G, Maquart M, Bedet A, Contou D, Brugières P, Fourati S, et al. Zika virus associated with meningoencephalitis. N Engl J Med. 2016;374:1595-6.