By Kemo Cham
A preliminary study has found that fragments of the Ebola virus persist in the semen of some male survivors for far longer than the three months initially thought.
The study whose report was released this week found that particles of the virus can stay in the semen for at least nine months, suggesting the possibility it could stay for longer.
Initially, it was thought that the virus particles only last for six months.
The is the first result of the long term study that is conducted jointly by the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Health of Sierra Leone, and the World Health Organisation.
The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is also part of the study which is hosted at the 34 Military Hospital at the Wilberforce Barracks. It is part of a larger study that seeks to provide answers to the many questions about Ebola that continue to elude scientists.
The report was published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
“Sierra Leone is committed to getting to zero cases and to taking care of our survivors, and part of that effort includes understanding how survivors may be affected after their initial recovery,” Amara Jambai, Deputy Chief Medical Officer at the Ministry of Health and Sanitation, said in a statement.
“Survivors are to be commended for contributing to the studies that help us understand how long the virus may persist in semen,” he added.
WHO say the first phase of the study has focused on testing for Ebola virus in semen because of past research showing persistence in that body fluid.
Better understanding of viral persistence in semen is important for supporting survivors to recover and to move forward with their lives, it said.
For Sierra Leone, the result comes at a time when every attention focuses on Ebola survivors and their potential to infect their partners through unprotected sex.
Amidst that doubt, the government has announced a controversial semen testing programme that is not connected to this study. A part of the so-called ‘Operation Shield’, the semen testing is meant to advice survivors to say safe and avoid risking the lives of their partners.
“These results come at a critically important time, reminding us that while Ebola case numbers continue to plummet, Ebola survivors and their families continue to struggle with the effects of the disease. This study provides further evidence that survivors need continued, substantial support for the next 6 to 12 months to meet these challenges and to ensure their partners are not exposed to potential virus,” said Bruce Aylward, WHO Director-General’s Special Representative on the Ebola Response.
Ninety three men over the age of 18 from Freetown provided semen samples which were tested to detect the presence of Ebola virus genetic material.
The men enrolled in the study between two and 10 months after their illness began.
The details of the study indicate that for men who were tested in the first three months after their illness began, all were positive (9/9; 100 percent).
More than half of the participants (26/40; 65 percent) who were tested between four to six months after their illness began remained positive, while one quarter (11/43; 26 percent) of those tested between seven to nine months after their illness began also tested positive.
The men were given their test results along with counseling and condoms, according to officials.
“EVD survivors who volunteered for this study are doing something good for themselves and their families and are continuing to contribute to the fight against Ebola and our knowledge about this disease,” Yusuf Kabba, President of the Sierra Leone Association of Ebola Survivors, said.
Some of the key questions remaining to be answered by the study include why some of the study participants cleared the fragments of Ebola virus from their semen earlier than others.
While the presence in the semen of the viral particles has been a long known fact, the question had remained even before the 2014 epidemic as to whether it is infectious. This is crucial to know because it is the basis for the growing incidents of stigma against survivors.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta is said to be conducting further tests of the samples to determine this.
“Ebola survivors face an increasing number of recognized health complications,” said CDC Director Tom Frieden.
“This study provides important new information about the persistence of Ebola virus in semen and helps us make recommendations to survivors and their loved ones to help them stay healthy."
Over 8000 people survived the Ebola virus in West Africa, mainly in the three hardest hit countries of – Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia.
Sierra Leone is said to have the highest number of survivors.
Experts say until more is known, the survivors need appropriate education, counseling and regular testing so they know whether virus persists in their semen; and the measures they should take to prevent potential exposure of their partners to it.
(C) Politico Online 16/10/15
