Alarming study suggests hepatitis E virus may be sexually transmitted and linked to male infertility: Health: Tech Times

A recent study has found that the hepatitis E virus (HEV) may be sexually transmitted and linked to male infertility, causing considerable concern in the medical community.

The study, published in PLOS Pathogens by scientists at Ohio State University, examines the infectivity of hepatitis E in pigs and attempts to draw parallels to human health.

The threat of hepatitis E

Hepatitis E is one of the most common causes of acute viral liver infections worldwide. An estimated 20 million infections occur each year, resulting in around 44,000 deaths in 2015.

The disease is particularly common in regions with poor sanitation and is mainly transmitted via the fecal-oral route through contaminated water. There is already a vaccine in China, but it is not yet available worldwide.

The present study addresses the possibility of sexual transmission of the hepatitis E virus and its effects on male fertility. The researchers chose pigs for their study because of the similarity of their reproductive anatomy to that of humans. Pigs are also a natural host for HEV, making them an ideal model for this research.

Alarming results

The researchers found hepatitis E virus proteins in the testes and HEV RNA in semen, suggesting that the virus may be present in the male reproductive system. In particular, the infectious hepatitis E virus was discovered in mature sperm of infected pigs.

This presence impaired sperm viability, suggesting a possible link with infertility. “Our study is the first to demonstrate this link between the hepatitis E virus and sperm,” said Kush Yadav, the study’s lead author.

Using fluorescence microscopy, the team detected virus particles associated with at least 19% of sperm from infected pigs. This finding suggests that sperm may act as carriers of the virus, although it is not yet known whether HEV can complete its replication cycle in the sperm head. “We cannot say whether they are on the outside or inside of the sperm,” Yadav explained.

“We do not know whether the hepatitis E virus can actually complete a replication cycle in the sperm head. Therefore, we assume that sperm are carriers rather than susceptible cells.”

Also read: Japan sees rise in fatal cases of ‘flesh-eating bacteria’, health authorities warn of high risk of death

Effects on human health: what you need to know

The implications of the study are significant, particularly for understanding unexplained male infertility. Scott Kenney, the study’s lead author, emphasized that a large proportion of documented cases of male infertility have unknown causes and suggested increased testing for the hepatitis E virus as a possible factor.

The results also suggest the need to screen sexual partners of pregnant women who test positive for hepatitis E virus, as sexual transmission may contribute to the high mortality rate among pregnant women with hepatitis E virus.

The study also has implications for the swine industry, where most commercial pig litters are produced by artificial insemination. The presence of the hepatitis E virus in donor semen could affect reproductive efficiency, leading to the need to consider low-cost screening or vaccination measures to reduce the introduction of the virus into new pig herds.

Stay up to date here at Tech Times.

Related article: Chinese experts find that genetically modified Ebola-like virus causes severe eye ulcers in hamsters

ⓒ 2024 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. No reproduction without permission.