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Ebola virus in semen raises possibility of sexual transmission
The persistence and potential sexual transmission of the Ebola virus has implications for management of Ebola virus disease survivors but also...
According to a study by the Sierra Leone Ministry of Health and Sanitation, the World Health Organization, and the CDC, fragments of Ebola virus have been found in semen 9 months after onset of symptoms. In the study, 93 men from Freetown, Sierra Leone, enrolled between 2 and 10 months after their illness began. Of 9 men who were tested in the first 3 months after initial symptoms, all were positive for Ebola virus. Of 40 who were tested between 4 and 6 months after onset, 26 (65%) were positive, as were 11 of 43 (26%) tested 7 to 9 months after onset.
Related: Ebola Virus in Semen Raises Possibility of Sexual Transmission
The researchers say it isn’t clear why some participants had cleared the virus earlier than others did. Until more is known, men who survive the Ebola virus are being counseled to get tested regularly and abstain from all types of sex or use condoms. The CDC is conducting further tests of the samples to determine whether the virus is live and potentially infectious.