Study discovers worrying link between contagious hantavirus strain and sperm that can increase STI risk
Not to sound overdramatic or anything, but hantavirus isn't just a now problem, it's also threatening the future of our species.
Following the outbreak of a deadly Andes strain aboard the Dutch cruiser MV Hondius, three passengers have lost their lives to this rodent-associated virus, but thanks to the not-so-pleasant Covid-19 pandemic, there's naturally a growing concern that we could be facing yet another developing health crisis.
Over at the Spiez Laboratory in Switzerland, researchers recently investigated the state of a 55-year-old bloke who'd been infected with the same hantavirus strain six years ago.
It's fair to say that the results raised a few eyebrows.
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Despite not being able to find any evidence of the virus in his blood, respiratory tract or urine, it was still present in his semen of all things.
Their conclusion is that hantavirus could still be transmittable via males for as long as 71 months post-infection.
The study, which was published in the journal Viruses, labelled the testicles a 'safe harbour' for at least 27 diseases, including Ebola and Zika.
With the body's regenerative sperm count required to procreate, the immune system simply doesn't attack this area, which allows the infectious entities to hide away in safety.
"Taken together, our results show that the Andes virus has the potential for sexual transmission," the researchers said, although they caveated by mentioning that a case of sexually transmitted Andes virus has never been documented.
A cautionary tale occurred during the Ebola outbreak of 2021, in Guinea, which caused 12 deaths.
It was later found to have started with a man who'd lived through the 2014-2016 epidemic and then accidentally re-spread the virus through unprotected sex.
Male hantavirus patients are advised to alter their sexual behaviours accordingly.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends that Ebola survivors test their semen every three months and are not 'cleared' for unprotected sex until they record two consecutive negative outcomes.
Until the time of clearance, they need to 'abstain from all types of sex' or 'use condoms consistently and correctly'. They are also encouraged to 'thoroughly' wash themselves in the wake of any contact with sperm.
Experts from the disease forecasting firm, Airfinity, believe that Andres strain survivors should follow the same guidelines.
The WHO reports symptoms of hantavirus typically begin presenting between two and four weeks after infection, though they can show as early as one week and as late as eight.
Dan Seddon