The Zika virus, which has been found to threaten fetal brain development, also poses a risk to adult brains, a new study has found.

The journal Cell Stem Cell published new research on Thursday that suggests that the mosquito-borne virus may damage cells that affect an adult’s memory and learning. “Zika can clearly enter the brain of adults and wreak havoc,” said co-author Sujan Shresta, a professor in California’s La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology.

As reported by AFP, researchers at New York’s Rockefeller University and La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology focused on neural progenitor cells in their experiments with mice. Neural progenitor cells are the early forms of brain cells that go on to become neurons. Zika can attack these cells in developing fetuses and lead to abnormally small heads (microcephaly) as well as brain damage and disability in babies

The scientists used fluorescent biomarker in mice to indicate when adult brain cells were invaded by the virus. Their results show that the virus targets two specific regions of the adult brain critical to learning and memory. “Our results are pretty dramatic,” said co-author Joseph Gleeson, adjunct professor at The Rockefeller University. “In the parts of the brain that lit up, it was like a Christmas tree.”

(Read also: Monkey study finds Zika infection lasts longer in pregnancy)

Researchers know from past brain studies that integrating new neurons into learning and memory circuits is key to the brain’s ability to adapt and change. Without this process, the brain slides into cognitive decline and other conditions can arise, such as depression or Alzheimer’s disease.

While healthy individuals may be able to resist the virus, those with weakened immune systems could be at serious risk, said the researchers. “In more subtle cases, the virus could theoretically impact long-term memory or cause depression,” added Gleeson.

Scientists have yet to establish to what extent the results of the research on mice apply to humans and how permanent the brain damage is, so more research is needed. (tif/kes)

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