Ebola virus may be detected in the semen of men. Dyal et al identified risk factors for prolonged shedding of virus in the semen following recovery from clinical infection. The authors are from multiple institutions in the United States and Liberia.
Patient selection: male who has recovered from Ebola virus infection
Semen testing protocol: rRT-PCR performed at least 2 times with resting performed >= 2 weeks apart
Clearance was defined as 2 consecutive semen tests that are negative for Ebola virus RNA.
Late clearance was defined as failure to clear within 1 year of clinical recovery.
Risk factors associated with late clearance:
(1) older age (19 to 69 years with median 42.5)
(2) no or few severe clinical symptoms (median 2)
(3) more lens opacifications (aOR 3.9)
(4) higher total serum IgG3 titers
(5) expression of HLA-C*03:04 allele
Findings in severe EBOV:
(1) hemorrhage
(2) hiccups
(3) seizures
(4) being too sick to go to the toilet
(5) being too sick to drink water
(6) delirium
Significance: A male with persistent shedding of Ebola virus should wear a condom and avoid sex with new partners.
