The Standard - Latest NewsToday, 07:04
The Ebola virus may persist in some men's semen for nine months after they were initially infected, far longer than previously thought, according to preliminary research.
The first long-term study of its kind, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, adds to growing evidence that Ebola can linger in the body, causing health problems for months or even years.
The findings raise new health concerns for the survivors of the Ebola epidemic that has ravaged West Africa since late 2013, killing more than 11,000 people in the deadliest outbreak since the virus, pictured, was first identified in 1976.
"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," said Bruce Aylward, the World Health Organisation's special representative on the Ebola response.
"This study provides further evidence that survivors need continued, substantial support for the next six to 12 months."
In March, researchers published a study describing the case of a Liberian woman infected with Ebola through sex with a survivor six months after his infection was diagnosed.
"Before this case, the furthest into convalescence that Ebola virus had been isolated from semen was 82 days," said Armand Sprecher, an Ebola expert with Doctors Without Borders.
A total of 93 men from Sierra Leone enrolled in the study to examine semen samples for the presence of Ebola virus genetic material.
All those who were tested in the first three months after their illness showed positive results for Ebola in the semen.
Four to six months after diagnosis, 65 percent were positive.
About a quarter of those tested between seven and nine months were positive. It remains unclear why some men retained fragments of Ebola virus and others did not.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
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