The mosquito-borne Zika virus
responsible for severe birth defects can remain in the sperm of
infected men up to six months after symptoms begin, according to
a new study out Thursday by Rome's Spallanzani Institute for
Infectious Diseases published on Eurosurveillance medical
journal.
This implies the virus could also be transmitted sexually,
and not just through mosquito bites.
The article documents the case of a 30-year-old man who
returned to Italy in January 2016, two weeks after he was first
diagnosed with a Zika infection he contracted in Haiti, and
whose sperm remained positive for the virus 188 days later.
"The results (have) implications for potential sexual
transmission," experts wrote.
At least 80% of Zika cases are asymptomatic, they added.
In Italy so far there have been 61 diagnosed Zika
infections, compared to a total of 1,111 in Europe. In all
cases, the carriers had traveled to countries with high rates of
infection.
The Zika virus has been linked to severe birth defects such
as microcephaly and acute neurological problems, and the World
Health Organization (WHO) earlier this year said pregnant Zika
patients who choose to terminate should be granted access to
safe abortions.
"While the Aedes aegypti (yellow fever mosquito) is the
primary vector, the Aedes albopictus (tiger mosquito) - which is
present in 20 European countries - can also transmit the virus
and remains a potential vector," the WHO said in March 2016
report.
Aedes aegypti is present on the Portuguese island of
Madeira and on the northeastern coast of the Black Sea. The
Aedes albopictus lives in Albania, Bosnia Herzegovina, Bulgaria,
Croatia, France, Germany, Georgia, Greece, Israel, Italy, Malta,
Monaco, Montenegro, Romania, San Marino, Slovenia, Spain,
Switzerland, Turkey, and the Vatican City.
The WHO recommends a four-pronged prevention approach: pest
control, keeping tabs on the virus via an early warning system,
swift lab confirmations of possible infections, and alerting the
public - especially pregnant women - as to the risk.
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