A survivor ofEbola may retain the virus in their semen for up to two years after recovery, depending on results of a study published in the medical journal Open Forum Infectious Diseases. What alert on the risks of contamination.
Researchers at the University of North Carolina in the United States conducted a study with men enrolled in a longitudinal cohort study of Ebola survivors in Monrovia, Liberia. The volunteers agreed to donate their sperm. Of the 149 men who provided samples, 13 tested positive for Ebola virus. Of these 13 men, 11 had positive results even two years after the onset of infection with the virus and their recovery.
“Our finding on long-term persistence and viral detection in semen suggests that we need to change the way we think about Ebolabecause it is no longer just an acute illness, but also one with potential long-term effects, “said William A. Fischer, assistant professor in the Division of Pulmonary Medicine at the University of North Carolina and co. -author of the study. “It is clear that for some survivors, the virus can remain for long periods with potential important implications for transmission”.
New prevention lines against the Ebola virus
These results prompted the study team to propose a revision of the 2016 World Health Organization guidelines on sexual transmission ofEbola and ask men who survive Ebola virus disease to choose abstinence and use condoms for at least 12 months after the onset of infection or until their sperm has tested negative for Ebola virus .
“The Ebola outbreak in West Africa in 2014 to 2015 was devastating for people in West Africa and beyond,” said David A. Wohl, MD, professor of infectious diseases at the University of North Carolina and study co-author. A total of 11,300 Ebola deaths have been recorded in Africa. Around 29,000 people were infected between December 2013 and November 2015.
The researchers stress that further studies must be carried out in a way that can avoid further stigmatization of the community of Ebola survivors.
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