Blood viruses can kill neurons in the guts of mice and could explain the reason why some people suffer unpredictable bouts of abdominal pain and constipation.
![West Nile, Zika Virus can Lead to Digestive Problems West Nile, Zika Virus can Lead to Digestive Problems](https://images.medindia.net/health-images/1200_1000/large-intestine.jpg)
‘Not only West Nile virus but its cousins Zika, Powassan and Kunjin viruses -- all of which target the nervous system like West Nile -- caused the intestines to expand and slowed down transit through the gut.’
![pinterest](https://images.medindia.net/icons/news/social/pinterest.png)
"But now we believe that one explanation could be that you can get a viral infection that results in your immune cells killing infected neurons in your gut," Stappenbeck added. ![twitter](https://images.medindia.net/icons/news/social/twitter.png)
![facebook](https://images.medindia.net/icons/news/social/facebook.png)
![whatsapp](https://images.medindia.net/icons/news/social/whatsapp.png)
![linkedin](https://images.medindia.net/icons/news/social/linkedin.png)
![pinterest](https://images.medindia.net/icons/news/social/pinterest.png)
For the study, published in the journal Cell, the team studied mice infected with West Nile virus -- a mosquito-borne virus that causes inflammation in the brain -- when he noticed something peculiar.
The intestines of some of the infected mice were packed with waste higher up and empty farther down, as if they had a blockage.
In contrast, chikungunya virus, an unrelated virus that does not target neurons, failed to cause bowel dysfunction.
The infected mice's digestive tracts gradually recovered over an eight-week time span. But when the researchers challenged the mice with an unrelated virus or an immune stimulant, the bowel problems promptly returned.
Advertisement
Source-IANS