Our disease du jour, it seems, is something that can make a fetus microcephalic. For decades pregnant women have been told to let hubby change the litterbox because of this exact concern - from the cat parasite Toxoplasma gondii.
Zika AND Toxo can be asymptomatic, can be sexually transmitted, and can mimic a mild flu.
Is Zika somehow informed by/magnified by an attendant Toxo infestation? Please give us the Straight Dope!
I doubt very much that there’s a factual answer to this, as we’re still at the early stages of linking zika to micocephaly. While the fact that a link has been demonstrated with brain tissue in the lab seems a smoking gun to most, many scientists are still hesitant to say there is certainly a link and say more tests are needed.
On the other hand, some of the data suggests zika’s effects are more severe and affect more aspects of prenatal development than previously thought. And of course we still don’t know the exact mechanism.
It’s a fast-moving situation, so I’m sure someone will be along to correct one or more of the above statements.
But regardless I’m sure they’ll agree that there needs to be a lot more understanding of zika’s effects before we can start to understand whether its symptoms are amplified by coinfection with other diseases.
Here are two recent studies - notice they both say ‘presumed’ zika infection
They’re not ignoring the possibility of other agents-
“The differential diagnosis included toxoplasmosis, rubella, cytomegalovirus, herpes simplex virus, syphilis, and human immunodeficiency virus, which were ruled out through serologic and clinical examinations.”
"Serology was negative in all infants for Toxoplasmosis, Rubella, Cytomegalovirus, Syphilis and Human Immunodeficiency Viruses. "