Cured in Liberia, man tests positive for Ebola in Delhi

[bananas]

Source: Times of India

A 26-year-old Indian who was treated and cured of Ebola virus disease in Liberia has been quarantined at the Delhi airport's health facility after having tested positive twice. Although his blood samples were repeatedly found free of the disease, the deadly virus showed up in his semen.

The man was being kept under strict surveillance at the isolation ward of IGI Airport's health facility. He carries a certificate from Liberia of having successfully undergone treatment for the disease.

"During recovery from Ebola, patients continue to shed the virus in body fluids. It's unlikely that he may infect others through personal contact. However, due to presence of the virus in his semen, it's possible that he could transmit the disease through sexual contact for up to 90 days after cure," Dr V M Katoch, DG, Indian Council of Medical Research, told TOI.

<snip>

The ICMR chief said the suspect will be tested again, repeatedly, over the next few days to rule out the presence of any virus before he is allowed to leave the quarantine zone. He did not comment on the possibility of the man having infected someone already during travel.

<snip>

"As per WHO specifications, the person is deemed cured since the blood samples have tested negative for EVD," the official said. "However, as has been reported in the past, the virus may continue to be positive in secretions such as urine and semen for a longer time. Before releasing him from quarantine, a decision was taken to test his other body fluids."

<snip>

Read more: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/Cured-in-Liberia-man-tests-positive-for-Ebola-in-Delhi/articleshow/45197216.cms

[Control-Z]

1. Anyone find this disturbing?

"The ICMR chief said the suspect will be tested again, repeatedly, over the next few days to rule out the presence of any virus before he is allowed to leave the quarantine zone."

[Kelvin Mace]

6. Very,

and is it normal medical procedure to ask for semen samples?

[The Stranger]

11. Yeah, how did they get the semen out of him?

[Kelvin Mace]

14. Not a question I am really sure I want the answer to

[Lionel Mandrake]

34. Maybe they used the Chinese method.

[blackspade]

8. that is really disturbing.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

18. that's the journalists' language not the officials. I attribute that to poor writing.

[louis-t]

2. Uh oh, watch for fox to ramp up the fear again in 5, 4, 3, 2...

Several freshman teabaggers will come out saying we have to quarantine the 'undesirables' permanently cuz "dey could gits it agin!1!!11"

[Laf.La.Dem.]

5. No - fear no longer needed!

The election is over

[hedgehog]

3. Classic "please don't tell me how ", but they tested his semen?

[Kber]

4. At the airport?

That was my reaction, too.

[AngryAmish]

25. At a truck stop, sure, but an airport?

[Little Star]

7. I read somewhere that Dr Craig Spencer was told....

no sex for three months.

[cynzke]

9. The answer is....

He is not yet completely cured and a blood test only confirms the absence of virus from his major organs, not the entire body. His body is still in the process of shedding the virus in his reproductive organs, nothing mention about his urine, although his kidneys are functioning. Given how aids spread through sexual contact, this is a problem we better get a lid on.

[morningfog]

21. No, the answer he was cured, but remains infectious for a few more weeks.

This is consistent with what we've known of Ebola for some time.

[cynzke]

22. Your explanation is clearer and accurate.

I understand this and should have qualified my response in that manner. Thanks.

[LisaL]

28. Could be more than a few weeks.

[morningfog]

29. Yes, the virus has been found up to 3 months, but sexual infection has never been reported.

Once people recover from Ebola, they can no longer spread the virus to people in the community. However, because Ebola can stay in semen after recovery, men should abstain from sex (including oral sex) for three months. If abstinence is not possible, condoms may help prevent the spread of Ebola. Sexual transmission of Ebola has never been reported.

http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/transmission/index.html?s_cid=cs_284

[NickB79]

37. It has been seen with Marburg virus, however (closely related to Ebola)

http://jid.oxfordjournals.org/content/196/Supplement_2/S131.full

Relapses with hepatitis, orchitis, and uveitis with virus persisting in semen and in the anterior eye chamber were typical during the convalescent phase of both Marburg virus (MARV) and Ebola virus (EBOV) infections. In 1 case, a patient transmitted infection to his wife 120 days after onset of his disease, most probably by sexual intercourse. Virus was detectable in seminal fluid.

[Renew Deal]

10. "The suspect"

The suspect of what? He is a patient or victim or survivor. But he is no suspect.

[Hubert Flottz]

12. My Gawd...I was just at the freakin' Dehli this morning!

My haid hurts!

[nilram]

19. Aaa! Me too! Fortunately, I still have the brown paper bag

so I can hyperventilate into that!

On edit: it was a new deli, so maybe I'm safe

[Hubert Flottz]

20. I always carry my Duct Tape and industrial grade plastic wrap...

left over from, Project X!

Closest thing I've seen, even to an "underwear bomber," is David Vitter.

[Hubert Flottz]

31. Oh Scheisse!

They just built a new deli at my local grocery store and that was the one I went to.

I'm glad tonight's prayer meeting! Holy Scheisse!

[lonestarnot]

26. Whatsa haid?

[Hubert Flottz]

30. That's the thing with your eyeballs in it!

Now my wenis hurts...I hope that's not a bad sign.

I'm staying away from the deli!

[dembotoz]

33. i prefer mayo-but top your sandwich anyway you want....

its a free country-or at least it was

[Avalux]

13. Even after a person 'recovers' from Ebola, the virus is found in semen for up to 90 days.

It's possible the virus can be transmitted sexually during that time. It's a lingering effect of infection and an important piece of information when educating the public regarding transmission.

[Raine1967]

17. HEre is the wonderment I have:

A 26-year-old Indian who was treated and cured of Ebola virus disease in Liberia has been quarantined at the Delhi airport's health facility after having tested positive twice. Although his blood samples were repeatedly found free of the disease, the deadly virus showed up in his semen.

The man was being kept under strict surveillance at the isolation ward of IGI Airport's health facility. He carries a certificate from Liberia of having successfully undergone treatment for the disease.

"During recovery from Ebola, patients continue to shed the virus in body fluids. It's unlikely that he may infect others through personal contact. However, due to presence of the virus in his semen, it's possible that he could transmit the disease through sexual contact for up to 90 days after cure," Dr V M Katoch, DG, Indian Council of Medical Research, told TOI.

What is going on in the Delhi Airport? If the man was cleared, I am pretty sure he knows, no sex for 90 days. Especially at the airport facility.

Something just seems strange about this story.

[cynzke]

23. PREETY IFFY.....

For the government to risk the spread of a deadly, highly contagious disease in an overpopulated country with a high poverty level on TRUSTING the survivor's sense of responsibility. Like aids didn't continue to be past on after we learned how it spread.

[Hubert Flottz]

32. "virus showed up in his semen."

I'm glad I don't live near the ocean.

[Raine1967]

16. This is a very strange story.

How reliable is the source?

Why would they test semen? Why is he being referred to as as suspect? Does Delhi quarantine and test seaman samples? While he is quarantine will he be treated?

I wish this part wasn't so ambiguous:

The Ebola suspect, health ministry officials said, had travelled from Liberia to India and reached Delhi on November 10. He underwent the mandatory screening at the Delhi Airport. On interview, he gave history of febrile illness for which he was admitted to a health facility in Liberia on September 11 and got discharged on September 30.

"The 26-year-old carried a certificate of medical clearance from the ministry of health and social welfare, government of Liberia which says he has 'successfully undergone care and treatment related to Ebola Virus Disease and after post treatment assessment he has been declared free of any clinical signs and symptoms and confirmed negative by laboratory analysis'," said a senior official.

Does he have Ebola or not?

And if he does, as with the doctor who just passed, is this a case of false positive?

[Thor_MN]

24. His immune system has ramped up to fight the virus, he is cured.

However, there is still some virus in his body. The tests are not a false positive. He could, potentially, infect another person by having sex with them. I would assume the treatment at this point is privacy, porn and biohazard containment...

[LisaL]

27. There is nothing strange about it.

It's a known fact that men cured of Ebola can still have virus present in their semen for some time after they have already been cured.
If he were to have unprotected sex he could potentially infect others.

[Yo_Mama]

36. He HAD it, and the virus is still present in his semen and could be infectious.

So they are taking precautions. Semen is a bodily fluid, and it is believed that post-recovery, Ebola victims still may be contagious for some time through virus spread through genital tract secretions (vaginal swabs from female survivors have also tested positive). The virus also seems to show up in the breast milk of female survivors for some time.

Here's an article.
http://jid.oxfordjournals.org/content/179/Supplement_1/S28.full

Marburg, a similar virus, is believed to have been transmitted sexually through semen.

It's also believed that the virus will be sequestered in some areas for longer, like behind the eye and perhaps in synovial fluid (joint sacs) - so basically glands and any immunologically privileged sites.

So the patient is not infectious in day to day living, certainly. Nor is any virus present in these sites a danger to the patient himself, because since he recovered he has a full complement of antibodies which will knock down any viral incursions into the rest of the body. But such a patient might be infectious to HCW for at least a few weeks longer, if, for example, he had eye surgery, or surgery on a knee, or contagious to a partner through just plain old ordinary sex, which involves the cheerful sharing of body fluids.

How long the virus persists in any of those sites is probably variable between patients.

[darkangel218]

35. So what are they planning to do, keep him in quarantine for months?

Yikes..

[NickB79]

38. It's been seen once before, in 1967 Germany, with Marburg virus

Marburg being closely related, though less lethal, than Ebola: http://jid.oxfordjournals.org/content/196/Supplement_2/S131.full

Relapses with hepatitis, orchitis, and uveitis with virus persisting in semen and in the anterior eye chamber were typical during the convalescent phase of both Marburg virus (MARV) and Ebola virus (EBOV) infections. In 1 case, a patient transmitted infection to his wife 120 days after onset of his disease, most probably by sexual intercourse. Virus was detectable in seminal fluid.