Zika Virus Maybe Spread Through Sex; Two Cases Suggest

There is evidence that the Zika virus can be passed on through sex, as suggested by two medical reports. While evidence is slim, federal health officials feel all travelers should be informed of the danger.

Zika virus has been linked to thousands of babies in South America who are born with birth defects typically with smaller heads than normal and undeveloped brains. To date, 21 countries have been affected by the virus.

Mothers are the ones first contacted by the virus, which is transmitted by a similar type of mosquito that spreads dengue fever, yellow fever and chikungunya. While the virus is known to spread similarly to other tropical diseases, two medical reports suggest otherwise.

The first case occurred when researchers found high levels of the Zika virus in the semen of a 44-year old man from French Polynesia. Symptoms experienced by the Tahitian patient include low-grade fever, joint pain and lack of energy.

Two weeks after his recovery, the patient noticed blood in his semen and decided to seek treatment.  He was referred to conduct further tests in Papeete at the country's Institut Louis Malarde.

The patient did not have signs of any condition that caused blood in the urine and did not have any physical contact with anyone who was suffering from the Zika virus, according to Dr. Didier Musso, director of the infectious diseases unit. However, further tests revealed that the virus was present in his semen and in his urine, according to Daily Mail.

The second case involves an insect-borne disease specialist named Professor Brian D. Foy, who fell ill with symptoms of the disease. The professor from the University of Colorado contracted the virus while on a trip to Senegal.

A few weeks later, his wife showed similar symptoms and tested positive for the Zika virus. Extreme, tiredness, swollen wrists, rashes, painful urination and extreme sensitivity to light were some of the symptoms experienced by the couple.

The disease, however, was not passed to any of their kids or close family members. Researchers, including Foy, then realized that the virus might have been sexually transmitted to his wife.

In 2011, Foy wrote about his experience and has been trying to get funds to research the phenomenon. Published in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases, this is the first instance of sexual transmission of a mosquito-born virus among humans.

"While the two instances suggest a 'theoretical risk' of sexual transmission, officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention note the primary vector is clearly mosquitos, the New York Times reported. Similarly, the World Health Organization said there was not enough evidence to make the link.