The World Health Organisation has issued an
interim advice on the possibility of Ebola Virus of
being sexually transmitted.
The WHO had directed all Ebola survivors and
their sexual partners to receive counselling to
guard against possible transmission of the
disease.
This is contained in a statement made available by
WHO to newsmen in Lagos on Saturday.
It indicated that the sexual transmission of the
Ebola Virus had yet to be established.
WHO said, “The sexual transmission of the Ebola
Virus from males to females is a strong
possibility, but has not yet been proven; less
probable, but theoretically possible.
“Studies have shown that Ebola virus can be
isolated from Fluid up to 82 days after symptom
onset.
“A recent case investigation identified genetic
material (RNA) from the virus by nucleic acid
amplification tests (such as RT-PCR) 199 days
after symptom onset.
“This is well beyond the period of virus detecting
ability in the blood of survivors and long after
recovery from illness.
“The detection of virus genetic material many
months after symptom onset is assumed to
reflect the continuing, or at least very recent,
presence of live and potentially transmissible
Ebola virus.”
More surveillance data and research are needed
on the risks of sexual transmission and
particularly on the prevalence of viable and
transmissible virus in Fluid over time, WHO said.
WHO recommends that, in the interim, all Ebola
survivors and their sexual partners should receive
counselling.
It added that this is to ensure safe sexual practices
until their Fluid has twice tested negative; and
survivors should be provided with condoms.
“Ebola survivors and their sexual partners should
either abstain from all types of sex or observe
safe sex through correct and consistent condom
use until their Fluid has twice tested negative.
“Having tested negative, survivors can safely
resume normal sexual practices without fear of
Ebola virus transmission,” the statement added.
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