“People who have recovered from the illness should not have sex for at least three months unless they use condoms.”.
A clinical epidemiologist who has first-hand experience handling Ebola says the disease can still be spread even if survivors have no visible symptoms.
Uganda’s Health Ministry has advised Ebola survivors to abstain from sex for at least three months after being discharged from health facilities, unless they use condoms.
Ebola is mostly transmitted via bodily fluids such as blood and saliva, but there have been instances in which scientists have detected the virus in the semen of male survivors, months after making full recoveries.
“Before returning home, Ebola patients will have their blood tested in the laboratory to ensure the virus is no longer in their body. However, people who have recovered from the illness should not have sex for at least three months unless they use condoms,” said the Ugandan Health Ministry.
According to Dr. Ataro Ayella, a clinical epidemiologist who has first-hand experience handling the virus, the disease can still be spread even if survivors have no visible symptoms of infection.
“The nature of the virus gives it the ability to survive for long in reserves in the body (brain, spinal fluid, semen, placenta and eyes) even when the patient is declared cured. The virus can be stored alive in the semen for long since it is a conducive environment for its survival, unlike other body fluids,” said Ayella.
