Traces of Zika found in a man’s semen two months after he was infected

This is a transmission electron micrograph (TEM) of Zika virus, which is a member of the family Flaviviridae. Virus particles are 40 nm in diameter, with an outer envelope, and an inner dense core. (credit: CDC)

Two months after a 68-year old British man became sick with Zika virus, traces of the germ lingered in his semen, researchers reported Friday.

The finding suggests that the mosquito-spread virus may unexpectedly hang around in the body for much longer than symptoms appear, which typically only last for about a week. (Though only a quarter or so of people infected with Zika experience any symptoms.) The viral loitering may up the chances of transmission, the authors speculate.

The British man was infected with the virus while traveling to French Polynesia in 2014. Follow-up testing of the man found traces of viral genetic material in his semen 27 days and 62 days after he first reported symptoms of the infection, which included fever, lethargy, and a rash. The findings appeared Friday in Emerging Infectious Diseases.

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