Bleeding Eye Virus Or Marburg Disease Infection Can Stay In Genitals For 12 Months: WHO

WHO says male survivors of Bleeding Eye virus should follow safer sex practices for 12 months as Marburg infection may persist in immune-privileged sites such as testicles and inside of the eye.

WHO warns against unprotected intimacy between an MVD-infected or recently recovered person and his or her partner.

Source : Canva (modified)

Bleeding Eye Virus: There is a lot of fear-mongering and sensationalism surrounding the Marburg disease or Bleeding Eye virus that is raging in Rwanda, and has likely spread to other African countries. There is meanwhile a newer facet to it that the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned the public about. 

The WHO says while all survivors, their partners and families should be shown respect, dignity and compassion, the male or female convalescent patients whose blood has been tested negative for Marburg virus should be advised by the country’s establishment about the care ahead. 

WHO warns that MVD survivors might suffer from both clinical and psychological sequelae — i.e. any complication or condition that results from a pre-existing illness, injury, or other trauma to the body. It recommends that affected countries consider the establishment of a survivor care programme to alleviate sequelae, support to community reintegration and offer counselling and biological testing.

Shocking Yet Important Consequence Post Marburg Recovery

Marburg virus is known to persist in immune-privileged sites in some people who have recovered. These sites include the testicles and the inside of the eye. WHO reports that though similar studies on Marburg virus may not have concluded as yet, extrapolating from data on other filoviruses, the virus may persist in the placenta, amniotic fluid and foetus of women infected while pregnant and in breast milk of women infected while breastfeeding.  

Relapse-symptomatic illness in the absence of re-infection in someone who has recovered from MVD is a rare event but has been documented. 

Marburg virus transmission via infected semen has been documented up to seven weeks after clinical recovery. To mitigate the risk of potential transmission via exposure to infected semen, a semen testing programme should be implemented, recommends the WHO.

ALSO READ ON ABP LIVE |  What Is The 'Bleeding Eye' Virus That Has Sparked Global Fear? 

WHO Recommendations To Sexually Active Male MVD Survivors

• Medical experts must offer counselling to male MVD survivors and their sexual partners
• Inform the recovered patient and his/her partner of the potential risk
• Support them adhering to safer sex practices  (including condom provision and good hand and personal hygiene)
• Offer monthly semen testing until abstention of two consecutive negative test results.

ABP Live also connected with medical experts to know what they think about the condition, and they said MVD survivors can safely resume normal sexual practices with minimised risk of Marburg virus transmission after abstention of two consecutive negative test results. In the absence of semen testing programme, male survivors should follow safer sex practices for 12 months.

Dr. Rohit Kumar Garg, Senior Consultant, Infectious Diseases, Amrita Hospital, Faridabad, elaborated on the WHO report that the Bleeding Eye virus is sexually transmissible even after recovery up to 12 months after first infection. He listed the following precautions that an adult can take.

Precautions for Sexually Transmissible Risk of Marburg virus:

1. Use barrier protection methods (e.g., condoms) correctly and consistently during sexual activity.
2. Avoid sexual contact for at least 12 months or as advised by a healthcare provider. Avoid sharing bodily fluids such as blood and saliva with others.
3. Both partners should undergo medical evaluation if either has been exposed or infected.
4. Communicate openly with partners about risks of transmission and take necessary precautions for prevention.
5. Consider regular STI screenings if at risk.

Dr Aklesh Tandekar, Head consultant critical care, Wockhardt Hospitals, Mira Road, Mumbai, also shared advice when asked if the virus is sexually transmissible up to 12 months after first infection (as stated by WHO above), and what precautions adults should take:

1. Practice safe sex by using condoms correctly and consistently.
2. Avoid sharing bodily fluids such as blood and saliva with others.
3. Inform sexual partners about the risk of transmission and take necessary precautions.

ALSO READ ON ABP LIVE | Covid-19 Origins: Latest US Report Points To 'Wuhan Lab-Leak', Slams Mitigation Measures As Unscientific

Key Facts About Marburg Virus Disease

This disease was formerly known as Marburg haemorrhagic fever, and is a severe, often fatal illness in humans. According to WHO data, the average MVD case fatality rate is around 50% — that means 1 in every two infections testing positive have known to not make it.

But that figure of case fatality has shown variation from 24% to 88% in past outbreaks. WHO recommends that early supportive care with rehydration, and symptomatic treatment improves survival. Unfortunately, at the moment, there are no approved vaccines or antiviral treatments for MVD, but work on this is on.

The Marburg virus is transmitted to people from fruit bats and spreads among humans through human-to-human transmission.

The author is an independent journalist.