Zika virus outbreak in New Caledonia and Guillain-Barre syndrome: a case-control study

Zika virus (ZIKV) infection has been associated with neurologic disorders including Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS). In New Caledonia during the ZIKV outbreak (2014-2015), case-control and retrospective studies have been performed to assess the link between ZIKVand GBS. Among the 15 cases included, 33% had evidence of a recent ZIKV infection compared to only 3.3% in the 30 controls involved. All patients were Melanesian, had facial diplegia and similar neurophysiological pattern consistent with acute inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy, and recovered well. Furthermore, during the peak of ZIKV transmission, we observed a number ofGBS cases higherthanthe calculated upper limit, emphasizing the fact that ZIKV is now a major trigger of GBS.