VACCINE

Lancet • April 1987
Possible Role Of Pestiviruses In Microcephaly
Author Information
BarbaraJ. Potts, JohnL. Sever, NancyR. Tzan, David Huddleston, GregoryA. Elder
Infectious Diseases Branch
National Institute of Neurological and Communicative Disorders and Stroke
National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA
Abstract
“The background of this suggestion was that, first, although usually a pathogen in
cattle and sheep, pestivirus infection can occur in children (Yolken et al. 1989). Second,
an association has been reported between pestivirus exposure and microcephaly
in newborns (Potts et al. 1987), which might be due to a generalized reduction in white
matter bulk. Third, dysmyelination (Potts et al. 1985, Anderson et al. 1987b), frank
brain damage (Hewicker-Trautwein and Trautwein 1994), and hypothyroxinemia
(Anderson et al. 1987a) are characteristics of perinatal pestivirus infection in lamb
models, are found in preterm infants (Leviton and Gilles 1996, Reuss et al. 1997), and
are associated with each other among preterm infants (Den Ouden et al. 1996, Leviton
et al. 1999). “
“... an association has been reported
between pestivirus exposure and microcephaly
in newborns, which might be due to a generalized reduction
in white matter bulk. Third, dysmyelination, frank brain
damage and hypothyroxinemia are characteristics of
perinatal pestivirus infection in lamb models, are found
in preterm infants, and are associated with
each other among preterm infants ...”
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http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(87)90311-4/abstract