Deadly Hantavirus Could Survive in Sperm for 6 Years, Experts Warn of Silent Spread
Following new findings on the Andes strain of hantavirus, health experts and global agencies are reviewing long-term safety guidance for survivors due to potential viral persistence in semen.
Experts advise long-term sexual health precautions for Andes hantavirus survivors due to possible persistence in semen.
A study published in the journal Viruses by researchers at the Spiez Laboratory in Switzerland found that although the virus disappears from blood, urine, and the respiratory system, it may remain in semen for up to 71 months after infection.
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This raises concerns about possible sexual transmission, even years after recovery.
Researchers stated:
“Taken together, our results show that the Andes virus has the potential for sexual transmission,”
while also noting that no confirmed sexually transmitted case has been documented to date.
The findings highlight how certain viruses can persist in the male reproductive system due to immune protection mechanisms. Sperm cells are shielded from immune attack, allowing pathogens to remain hidden in the testes.
Scientists describe the testes as a “safe harbor” for at least 27 infectious diseases, enabling long-term viral survival even after recovery elsewhere in the body.
The persistence of such viruses depends on factors like initial viral load and replication ability within the reproductive tract.
In response to similar risks observed in other diseases such as Ebola, health authorities continue to recommend strict sexual health precautions for survivors.
The World Health Organization advises Ebola survivors to undergo semen testing every three months and not be “cleared” for unprotected sex until they achieve two consecutive negative results.
Until then, individuals are advised to “abstain from all types of sex” or “use condoms consistently and correctly.”
The guidance also states that survivors should wash themselves “thoroughly” with soap and water after any contact with semen, including after masturbation.
Experts from disease forecasting company Airfinity have suggested that similar protocols should be applied to Andes hantavirus survivors, aligning with WHO Ebola survivor monitoring practices.
Airfinity told The Telegraph that guidance should be “analogous to the World Health Organization’s Ebola survivor semen-monitoring protocols,” including “extensive safe-sex guidance beyond the [42-day] quarantine.”
The Andes hantavirus outbreak was reported in early May aboard the MV Hondius, a luxury expedition cruise ship. The virus, typically spread by rodents, can in rare cases be transmitted between humans.
So far, the outbreak has resulted in three deaths: a Dutch couple and a German national. The WHO has stated that more cases are expected but emphasized that the situation is not comparable to COVID and does not pose a pandemic threat.
