The Ebola epidemic , which has kill over 11,000 people to escort , is the most devastating outbreak of the computer virus in account , killing more people than in every previous irruption combined . Recently , the world welcome the news that the three African state at the center of the outbreak – Sierra Leone , Guinea and Liberia – had gonean intact week without record a individual newly diagnosed caseof Ebola . However , a new subject has substantiate that Ebola remains dormant in those that have stopped demonstrate symptoms of the disease . Specifically , the virus hang on in the semen of male survivorsfar longerthan previously thought .
The newfangled study , publish in theNew England Journal of Medicine , discovered that two - third base of the humanity investigate had detectable loads of the virus in their semen up to half a year after they had been initially infected ; some even remained infectious up to nine calendar month after contracting the disease . By analyzing the viral transmitted codes in the male survivor ’ semen , the research worker bear witness that many of them tested positive for Ebola , despite being asymptomatic – not showing any symptoms of the disease .
This in burden mean that Ebola , for a sure prison term even after symptom have vanish , is a sexually transmitted disease . With a big number of Ebola survivors in West Africa , this new information will doubtless increase calls for male survivors to wear condom for a prolonged period of time , perhaps indefinitely .
Although the case of a human race who pop off on Ebola to his intimate partner while he was asymptomatic was alreadyreportedearlier this twelvemonth , this new written report definitively confirms that the computer virus can be convey sexually even after the person is apparently cure of the disease .
The WHO has repeatedly notify constant watchfulness and caution , determined to end any new outbreaks of the disease as they look , and this fresh enquiry will no doubt tone up their resolve .
The research still pass on some doubt , however . The WHO notes that the intimate transmitting of the computer virus is possible , but rare . Margaret Chan , the director general of the WHO , posit that she could not be sure that cum testing positive for the computer virus would really still be infective .
" The stage of uncertainty is worrying , that ’s why we need to take precautionary touchstone , so we advise survivor to take protection through contraceptive method , ” she toldBBC News .
