NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Influenza infection can occasionally precipitate the occurrence of Guillain-Barre syndrome, French researchers report in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases.

Guillain-Barre syndrome is an inflammatory disease affecting the peripheral nerves, with symptoms of weakness, numbness or tingling in the arms and legs. Loss of movement and feeling in the arms, legs, upper body, and face may also occur.

The condition "is usually triggered by infectious disease or vaccine," senior investigator Dr. Elyanne Gault told Reuters Health. "To date, influenza was associated with Guillain-Barre syndrome through vaccination, based on the report of a high number of Guillain-Barre syndrome cases during a mass vaccination campaign against swine influenza in the US."

The current study reports "virological evidence that influenza infection is a trigger for Guillain-Barre syndrome, with a frequency related to the level of influenza epidemics," she explained.

Gault of Hopital Ambroise Pare, Boulogne-Billancourt, and colleagues studied data on 406 Guillain-Barre syndrome patients. The causative agent was unidentified in 234 patients.

The researchers investigated the monthly incidence of Guillain-Barre syndrome cases and the incidence of influenza-like illnesses, and also analyzed anti-influenza antibodies.

In all, 73 Guillain-Barre syndrome cases were positively link to influenza. Nearly 14 percent had serological evidence of recent influenza A infection and 5.5 percent had evidence of influenza B infection. Eight of the 10 influenza A cases occurred during a major influenza season and antibodies specific to the current epidemic strain were seen in 9 of these patients.

Gault concluded, "Although the occurrence is rare, it is by far more frequent than that following influenza vaccine...The benefit of large-scale influenza vaccination should also be considered as a means to protect against Guillain-Barre syndrome."

SOURCE: Clinical Infectious Diseases, January 1, 2009.

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