Can Ebola be transmitted via semen from a man who has recovered?

Can Ebola be transmitted via semen from a man who has recovered?

• A. True
• B. False
• C. Only during acute illness
• D. Not enough evidence to support transmission via semen

Answer: (A)

The risk being tested is that Ebola virus can persist in semen well after a man has recovered from the acute illness, and in turn can be transmitted through sexual contact. The virus can remain in the male reproductive tract for months, and there are documented cases of sexual transmission from male survivors after recovery. Because of this persistent shedding, the statement is true. Public health guidance emphasizes safer sex or abstinence for an extended period after recovery—often around a year or until semen tests show no Ebola virus RNA on two consecutive samples—to minimize the risk of transmission. This reflects the distinction between transmission during acute illness and transmission from prolonged viral persistence in semen after recovery.

The risk being tested is that Ebola virus can persist in semen well after a man has recovered from the acute illness, and in turn can be transmitted through sexual contact. The virus can remain in the male reproductive tract for months, and there are documented cases of sexual transmission from male survivors after recovery. Because of this persistent shedding, the statement is true. Public health guidance emphasizes safer sex or abstinence for an extended period after recovery—often around a year or until semen tests show no Ebola virus RNA on two consecutive samples—to minimize the risk of transmission. This reflects the distinction between transmission during acute illness and transmission from prolonged viral persistence in semen after recovery.