Did You Know That Your Semen Can Also Carry And Spread The Ebola Virus Too?

With a high fatality rate the Ebola virus has been identified as extremely ‘infectious’, as even getting infected by the tinniest amount of the infection can prove to be fatal. The virus has been labelled as deadly because there isn’t an exact cure for it.

Although, it can prove to be fatal if you're infected by the virus, it hasn’t proven to be very contagious as it can’t be transmitted through the air—at least up until now.

The virus can transmit itself?through the bodily fluid of an other infected person or if you come into contact while infected animal while butchering it, since researchers believe the fruit bats are the natural hosts of this virus.?

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However, it’s not only health care workers that come into close contact with patients during treatment or people who deal directly with an animal that is infected at risk anymore. Sexual activity has also become a potent way to transmit the disease.?

Current research suggests that the proteins found in your semen can increase the spread of Ebola virus infection!?

According to a study conducted by the University of Pennsylvania, protein fragments, called amyloid fibrils, in human semen significantly increase Ebola virus infection and even protect the virus against harsh environmental conditions such as heat and dehydration.

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Although Ebola is transmitted primarily through direct contact with blood and other bodily fluids from infected people, follow-up studies from the 2014 epidemic found that men can harbour the virus in their semen for at least two and a half years, with the potential to transmit the virus sexually during that time.

The team found that targeting the protein fragments, called amyloids, in the semen could prevent the spread of the Ebola virus through sexual transmission.?

These protein fragments in semen significantly increase the presence of the virus in the body and protect it against environmental conditions, such as heat and dehydration.?

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"Sexual transmission of the Ebola virus poses a significant public health concern, especially in light of the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo," said senior author Paul Bates.

Strategies for countering amyloids, such as creating small molecules that disrupt its structure, have been developed to slow or halt HIV transmission.?

The researchers suggested that this approach could be tested for its ability to reduce infection in models of Ebola sexual transmission.

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Several types of amyloids found in semen enhance the transmission and infection of other viruses, such as HIV, by helping the virus attach to the membrane surrounding host cells.

The study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that the amyloids help enhance the binding of the virus to the cells.??

"Given the potential for sexual transmission to spark new Ebola infection chains, we feel we have found relevant factors that may be important targets for inhibiting the spread of Ebola," said Bart.

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Sexual transmission has also been linked to a resurgence of Ebola in Guinea, which had previously been declared Ebola-free during the West Africa Ebola outbreak. However, the role of host factors involved in sexual transmission has remained poorly understood. This should hopefully help change this situation around.?