Ebola Virus Ribonucleic Acid Detection in Semen More Than Two Years After Resolution of Acute Ebola Virus Infection

Fischer, William A.; Brown, Jerry; Wohl, David A.; Loftis, Amy James; Tozay, Sam; Reeves, E. B.; Pewu, Korto; Gorvego, Galapaki; Saturday, Quellie,; Cunningham, Coleen K.; Merenbloom, Carson; Napravnik, Sonia; Dubé, Karine; Adjasoo, David; Jones, Erin H.; Bonarwolo, Korlia; Hoover, David L.

doi:10.1093/ofid/ofx155

Cited by 51 publications

(57 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…Cohort studies of male EVD survivors demonstrated that infectious EBOV could be isolated from semen up to 82 d after EBOV onset (3,4). The maximum recorded persistence of EBOV RNA in semen is 965 d, although the concordance between persistent RNA and infectious virus is unclear (5). During the 2014-2016 EBOV outbreak, multiple cases of sexual transmission-some sparking new transmission chains-were reported in case reports supported by epidemiological and molecular evidence (6)(7)(8)(9)(10).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Enhancement of Ebola virus infection by seminal amyloid fibrils

Bart

Cohen

Dye

et al. 2018

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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The 2014 western Africa Ebola virus (EBOV) epidemic was unprecedented in magnitude, infecting over 28,000 and causing over 11,000 deaths. During this outbreak, multiple instances of EBOV sexual transmission were reported, including cases where the infectious individual had recovered from EBOV disease months before transmission. Potential human host factors in EBOV sexual transmission remain unstudied. Several basic seminal amyloids, most notably semen-derived enhancer of viral infection (SEVI), enhance in vitro infection by HIV and several other viruses. To test the ability of these peptides to enhance EBOV infection, viruses bearing the EBOV glycoprotein (EboGP) were preincubated with physiological concentrations of SEVI before infection of physiologically relevant cell lines and primary cells. Preincubation with SEVI significantly increased EboGP-mediated infectivity and replication in epithelium- and monocyte-derived cell lines. This enhancement was dependent upon amyloidogenesis and positive charge, and infection results were observed with both viruses carrying EboGP and authentic EBOV as well as with semen. SEVI enhanced binding of virus to cells and markedly increased its subsequent internalization. SEVI also stimulated uptake of a fluid phase marker by macropinocytosis, a critical mechanism by which cells internalize EBOV. We report a previously unrecognized ability of SEVI and semen to significantly alter viral physical properties critical for transmissibility by increasing the stability of EboGP-bearing recombinant viruses during incubation at elevated temperature and providing resistance to desiccation. Given the potential for EBOV sexual transmission to spark new transmission chains, these findings represent an important interrogation of factors potentially important for this EBOV transmission route.

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confidence: 99%

Enhancement of Ebola virus infection by seminal amyloid fibrils

Bart

Cohen

Dye

et al. 2018

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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“…Several flare-ups from Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone were attributed to sexual intercourse with persistently infected male survivors [83,84]. Serological and genomic data from EVD male survivors demonstrated persistence of viral RNA in semen [85,86] that lasted beyond the WHO-defined waiting period for declaring a country to be free from EVD [84]. This opens up another avenue for community health education: safe sex practices such as sexual abstinence or condom use must be included in the community education package for contacts of EVD survivors [84].…”

Section: • Ineffective Contact Tracingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ebola Outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), 2017-2019

Nguyen¹

2019

Global Biosecurity

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Feedback from operational stakeholders who manage or respond to outbreaks is that they are often too busy to review literature or obtain relevant background information to assist them with acute response. Unlike a traditional analytical outbreak investigation report, Watching Briefs are intended as a rapid resource for public health or other first responders in the field on topical, serious or current outbreaks, and provide a digest of relevant information including key features of an outbreak, comparison with past outbreaks and a literature review. They can be completed by responders to an outbreak, or by anyone interested in or following an outbreak using public or open source data, including news reports.

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“…[9][10][11] Ebola virus RNA has been detected in the semen of EVD survivors at more than 2 years after recovery. [9][10][11] Ebola virus RNA has been detected in the semen of EVD survivors at more than 2 years after recovery.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Ebola virus can persist in certain immunologically protected parts of the body, including semen, the interior compartments of the eye, and central nervous system. [9][10][11] Ebola virus RNA has been detected in the semen of EVD survivors at more than 2 years after recovery. 11 In addition, sexual transmission of the virus from male survivors to their female sexual partners has been identified as the cause of at least three cases of EVD recrudescence in West Africa.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…[9][10][11] Ebola virus RNA has been detected in the semen of EVD survivors at more than 2 years after recovery. 11 In addition, sexual transmission of the virus from male survivors to their female sexual partners has been identified as the cause of at least three cases of EVD recrudescence in West Africa. 12 Most studies on the impact of Ebola virus on female reproduction have been limited to women who were pregnant at the time of infection.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Reproductive health sequelae among women who survived Ebola virus disease in Liberia

Godwin

Wohl

Fischer

et al. 2019

Intl J Gynecology & Obste

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Objective To estimate the incidence of failed pregnancy and menstrual irregularities among Liberian women who had survived Ebola virus disease (EVD) and to identify host‐specific and disease‐specific factors associated with these outcomes. Methods A cross‐sectional questionnaire‐based study was conducted between August 10, 2016, and February 7, 2017. The study population comprised 111 women aged 18–45 years who had survived EVD and were enrolled in the Longitudinal Liberian Ebola Survivor study based at the Eternal Love Winning Africa Hospital, Monrovia, Liberia. Self‐reported data on outcomes related to pregnancy and menstrual changes since recovery from EVD were collected. Results In all, 29 (26.1%) of the participants had become pregnant since surviving EVD. Of the 23 women whose pregnancies continued to term, 10 (43.4%) reported live birth, 11 (47.8%) reported spontaneous abortion, and two (8.7%) reported stillbirth. Of the 105 women who reported having regular menstruation before EVD, 27 (29.0%) reported experiencing irregular menstruation for unknown reasons after EVD. In bivariate logistic models, no associations were found between failed pregnancy or irregular menstruation and any of the factors of interest. Conclusions Adverse pregnancy outcomes and irregular menstruation were frequently reported among EVD survivors in Liberia.

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Ebola Virus Ribonucleic Acid Detection in Semen More Than Two Years After Resolution of Acute Ebola Virus Infection

Cited by 51 publications

References 17 publications

Enhancement of Ebola virus infection by seminal amyloid fibrils

Enhancement of Ebola virus infection by seminal amyloid fibrils

Ebola Outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), 2017-2019

Reproductive health sequelae among women who survived Ebola virus disease in Liberia

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