CHARLIE FIDELMAN, MONTREAL GAZETTE
Published on: March 6, 2017
Canadian tourists infected with Zika virus are showing more severe symptoms than expected, according to a study published Monday in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.
The Zika virus is spread by mosquitoes in the Caribbean, South America, Central America and some U.S. states. A common perception is that Zika is an infrequent infection that’s associated with mild, flu-like symptoms and rash.
While most of the infections resulted in mild symptoms, the Canadian study noted Zika infections were as common as dengue fever and symptoms were more severe — including two cases of Guillain-Barré syndrome, a rare neurological disorder that can lead to temporary paralysis.