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Hepatitis E virus was found in sperms
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A team of US scientists believes they've discovered a new sexually transmitted disease that can lead to deadly liver failure and infertility if untreated. Researchers at Ohio State University have found the hepatitis E virus in sperm samples, suggesting it can pass via sex. It was previously believed that the virus, which doesn't always cause symptoms, only spreads via contaminated water.
The experts found that sperm cells infected with the virus were less mobile and had genetic defects, which they say may provide evidence for the virus’s role in cases of male infertility. The current study was performed in pigs, whose reproductive systems are said to be very similar to humans. The scientists are now ‘pushing’ for men with infertility to be screened for hepatitis E, which may be a ‘potential cause’ of their problems.
Around 20 million cases of hepatitis E virus (HEV) occur globally each year, and only three million are symptomatic. The infections are more common in developing countries without clean water, as viral cells in fecal matter enter the water supply, infecting individuals when they drink it. Other types of hepatitis, including A, B, C, and D, are all caused by different viruses and are transmitted in different ways, such as through blood or sexual fluids, as well as sharing needles.
The infections are more common in developing countries without clean water
Hepatitis E causes inflammation in the liver, which can give people a yellowish hue to the skin and eyes, known as jaundice. It can also cause abdominal pain, fever, weight loss, dark urine, and fatigue. Most people recover fully without lasting liver damage within four to six weeks. In addition to driving up the risk of acute liver failure, the virus is also linked to fertility problems in men and neurological disorders.
While most patients recover on their own by rehydrating, replenishing electrolytes, and taking medication to deal with symptoms like nausea, the prognosis is poorer for pregnant women.
In the new study, Ohio State University researchers isolated the virus particles from sperm in infected pigs. The researchers injected pigs with the virus and found that it circulated in blood and was shed in feces. Eighty-four days post-injection, researchers found HEV on the heads of pigs’ sperm cells. About 19 percent of the sperm cells contained particles of the virus, which were infectious, meaning the virus could have been transmitted to another pig.
Dr. Kush Yadav, an Ohio State researcher who led the study, said: “We can’t say they’re [the viral cells] sitting on the outside or inside the sperm cells.” To probe sperm quality more closely, researchers analyzed 200 sperm cells to compare their movement and shape. Sperm infected with the virus strain that can infect humans showed a 14 percent decreased ability to move through the reproductive tract, a measure called motility, compared with that of pigs not infected. More sperm in infected pigs were completely immobile compared to the non-infected pigs. Moreover, sperm from pigs infected with HEV were more likely to have abnormally shaped and sized heads and tails. In humans, these morphological changes are known to decrease a man’s ability to impregnate a partner as well as increase the risk of causing DNA changes in a fetus, resulting in congenital defects.
Source: Daily Mail
