Scientists have already linked the mosquito-borne Zika virus to microcephaly, a birth defect, and Guillain-Barré, an autoimmune disorder. And, as The Atlantic reports, those conditions might not be the extent of Zika's effects.
Researchers have reported on one case each of acute myelitis, which is spinal cord inflammation, and meningoencephalitis, which is brain inflammation. New Brazil research found two people infected with Zika later got acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, which entails inflammation of the brain and spinal cord, Newsweek reports.
The new discoveries, The Atlantic reports, mean Zika could be more dangerous than initially thought for older children and adults, particularly in regards to patients' nerve cells.
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