Neurological complications associated with emerging viruses in Brazil

Objective To test the hypotheses that emerging viruses are associated with neurological hospitalizations and that statistical models can be used to predict neurological sequelae from viral infections. Methods An ecological study was carried out to observe time trends in the number of hospitalizations with inflammatory polyneuropathy and Guillain‐Barré syndrome (GBS) in the state of Rio de Janeiro from 1997 to 2017. Increases in GBS from month to month were assessed using a Farrington test. In addition, a cross‐sectional study was conducted analyzing 50 adults hospitalized for inflammatory polyneuropathies from 2015 to 2017. The extent to which Zika virus symptoms explained GBS hospitalizations was evaluated using a calibration test. Results There were significant increases (Farrington test, P
The introduction of novel viruses increases the incidence of inflammatory neuropathies in Brazil.