Zika Virus May Affect Male Fertility, According To Study On Mice

CHICAGO (Reuters) - A study of mice infected with Zika showed the virus caused lasting damage to key cells in the male reproductive system, resulting in shrunken testicles, lower levels of sex hormones and reduced fertility, U.S. researchers said on Monday. So far, the findings are only in mice, but the result is worrisome enough to warrant further study because of possible implications for people, said Dr. Michael Diamond of Washington University in St. Louis, whose research was published in the journal Nature. ”It has to be corroborated,” Diamond, a professor of pathology, immunology and molecular microbiology, said in a telephone interview. Much of the global effort to fight Zika has focused on protecting pregnant women from infection because of the grave implications for their unborn children. Zika infections in pregnant women have been shown to cause microcephaly, a severe birth defect in which the head and brain are undersized, as well as other brain abnormalities. Previous studies have shown that Zika can remain in semen for as long as six months. But little is known about whether prolonged exposure to the virus in the testes can cause harm. To study this, Diamond and colleagues injected male mice with Zika. After a week, the researchers recovered infectious virus from the testes and sperm, and they found evidence of viral genes in certain cells of the testes. But overall, the testes appeared normal compared with other lab mice. After three weeks, however, ...
Source: Science - The Huffington Post - Category: Science Source Type: news