tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
:tiphat: A TIME'S MEMORY
The Lancet Infectious Diseases, Early Online Publication, 19 November 2014
doi:10.1016/S1473-3099(14)71033-3Cite or Link Using DOI
Copyright ? 2014 Elsevier Ltd All rights reserved.
Ebola virus in the semen of convalescent men
Ian M Mackay aEmail Address, Katherine E Arden a
Semen is one of the body fluids from which Ebola virus disease can be contracted, presumably by delivery of the infectious virus to a mucosal surface. WHO notes that Ebola viruses can be transmitted via the semen of a man who is convalescing, for up to 7 weeks after recovery from an Ebola virus infection.1 The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control2 and Public Health Agency of Canada3 both report the 7 week figure, and the latter also refers to a period of 61 days. The United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases4 suggests a 3 month period, recommending that survivors avoid sexual contact.
A topic not discussed openly in the public forum is what, if any, advice is being given to convalescent men infected during the west African outbreak when they are discharged before a 7 week convalescent period has elapsed. Such advice has been reported in the past.5 Four key studies underpin the message that semen could be a source of Ebola virus infection. Bausch and colleagues6 isolated infectious Ebola virus from the semen of one of two samples from a single patient recovering from Ebola. These convalescent samples were collected 40 days after disease onset and one was also RT-PCR-positive. At 45 days, the patient's semen no longer contained detectable Ebola virus. No acute-phase (active infection) samples were tested.
Rodriguez and colleagues7 isolated infectious Ebola virus from the seminal fluid of a 27-year-old patient, 82 days after disease onset (also RT-PCR-positive). Similar to the findings of Rowe and colleagues,8 Rodriguez described identification of Ebola virus RNA, but not the virus itself, in semen from three other convalescent patients (33, 29, and 25 years of age) at times ranging from 47 to 101 days after disease onset. Emond and colleagues isolated infectious Ebola virus from semen collected 39 and 61 days after disease onset but no Ebola virus could be isolated 76, 92, or 110 days later.5
A clear need exists to ensure that men convalescing after Ebola virus disease are made very plainly aware that they will need to conduct themselves with care to minimise the infectious potential of their seminal fluid. This careful conduct should include the patient maintaining careful personal hygiene after masturbation, practicing safe sex, or abstaining from sexual contact altogether for a suitable period of time.
We declare no competing interests.
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/article/PIIS1473-3099(14)71033-3/fulltext?rss=yes
The Lancet Infectious Diseases, Early Online Publication, 19 November 2014
doi:10.1016/S1473-3099(14)71033-3Cite or Link Using DOI
Copyright ? 2014 Elsevier Ltd All rights reserved.
Ebola virus in the semen of convalescent men
Ian M Mackay aEmail Address, Katherine E Arden a
Semen is one of the body fluids from which Ebola virus disease can be contracted, presumably by delivery of the infectious virus to a mucosal surface. WHO notes that Ebola viruses can be transmitted via the semen of a man who is convalescing, for up to 7 weeks after recovery from an Ebola virus infection.1 The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control2 and Public Health Agency of Canada3 both report the 7 week figure, and the latter also refers to a period of 61 days. The United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases4 suggests a 3 month period, recommending that survivors avoid sexual contact.
A topic not discussed openly in the public forum is what, if any, advice is being given to convalescent men infected during the west African outbreak when they are discharged before a 7 week convalescent period has elapsed. Such advice has been reported in the past.5 Four key studies underpin the message that semen could be a source of Ebola virus infection. Bausch and colleagues6 isolated infectious Ebola virus from the semen of one of two samples from a single patient recovering from Ebola. These convalescent samples were collected 40 days after disease onset and one was also RT-PCR-positive. At 45 days, the patient's semen no longer contained detectable Ebola virus. No acute-phase (active infection) samples were tested.
Rodriguez and colleagues7 isolated infectious Ebola virus from the seminal fluid of a 27-year-old patient, 82 days after disease onset (also RT-PCR-positive). Similar to the findings of Rowe and colleagues,8 Rodriguez described identification of Ebola virus RNA, but not the virus itself, in semen from three other convalescent patients (33, 29, and 25 years of age) at times ranging from 47 to 101 days after disease onset. Emond and colleagues isolated infectious Ebola virus from semen collected 39 and 61 days after disease onset but no Ebola virus could be isolated 76, 92, or 110 days later.5
A clear need exists to ensure that men convalescing after Ebola virus disease are made very plainly aware that they will need to conduct themselves with care to minimise the infectious potential of their seminal fluid. This careful conduct should include the patient maintaining careful personal hygiene after masturbation, practicing safe sex, or abstaining from sexual contact altogether for a suitable period of time.
We declare no competing interests.
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/article/PIIS1473-3099(14)71033-3/fulltext?rss=yes