Use of Condoms Advised as Sperm can Carry Ebola for 82 Days

The WHO said Friday that Sperm can carry the Ebola virus for at least 82 days and urged men recovering from the disease to use condoms for three months after the onset of symptoms.

The World Health Organization(WHO) said on Friday that sperm can carry the Ebola virus for at least 82 days, and urged men recovering from the disease to use condoms for three months after the onset of symptoms.

"Because of the potential to transmit the virus sexually during this time, they should maintain good personal hygiene after masturbation, and either abstain from sex (including oral sex) for three months after onset of symptoms, or use condoms if abstinence is not possible," the WHO said in a statement.

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Ebola is caused by a virus via direct contact with body fluids or infected blood. Scientists have identified five types of Ebola or Ebola hemorrhagic fever virus.

In four studies, on a total of 43 patients, three men who had recovered from Ebola still had the live virus in their semen 40 days, 61 days and 82 days respectively after the onset of symptoms.

The WHO said that no case of sexual transmission of Ebola had been documented, and that it was unclear whether semen that tests positive for Ebola is actually infectious.

The four studies were carried out in different countries, with the first dating back more than 30 years.

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Ebola is highly contagious but, even if a person is infected, the virus can only be passed on once symptoms appear and only through direct contact with bodily fluids.

Symptoms of Ebola include fever, headache, diarrhea, vomiting and in some cases bleeding.

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There is a need for greater co-operation between governments, corporate sector and citizens to ensure international preparedness and to provide a universal safety net to deal with global health issues

The biggest Ebola epidemic on record has claimed around 5,700 lives since the beginning of the year, according to the WHO -- almost all of them in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

Source-AFP