By Chioma Obinna
Contrary to the earlier three months period given by the World Health organisation, WHO, for Ebola survivors to abstain from unprotected sex, further investigations by United States’  Centre for Disease Control, CDC, has shown that survivors may have to wait for a longer period.
The CDC report recommended that contact with semen from male Ebola survivors be avoided until more information regarding the duration and infectiousness of viral shedding in body fluids is determined.
This is coming on the heels of the recent traces of the Ebola virus found in the semen of an Ebola survivor six months after being declared virus-free.
Doctors are now working to uncover whether or not this is an isolated occurrence, but for the time being health officials are advising all Ebola survivors to either abstain from sex or use condoms until more information is available.
The CDC in the statement indicated that those who survived Ebola Virus Disease, EVD, may as well habour the disease which they could transmit to others through sexual intercourse.
According to the statement, “The investigation identified only one epidemiologic link to Ebola: unprotected vaginal intercourse with a survivor.  Published reports from previous out-breaks have demonstrated Ebola survivors can continue to harbour virus in immunologically privileged sites for a period of time after convalescence,” the CDC said.
The statement added that “Ebola virus has been isolated from semen as long as 82 days after symptom onset and viral RNA has been detected in semen up to 101 days after symptom onset.
“One instance of possible sexual transmission of Ebola has been reported, although the accompanying evidence was inconclusive.”
CDC said the report is based on investigation by the government of Liberia.
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