Virologist: Why Lassa fever is contagious after treatment

Sunday Omilabu, a professor of medical virology at the University of Lagos’ College of Medicine, has said that survivors of Lassa fever might still transmit the virus to others through bodily fluids 12 months after recovery.

After therapy and recovery, the virus might be found in sperm, breast milk, saliva, and blood, according to Omilabu.

Speaking in an interview with our correspondent, the virologist stated, “The virus still hides in the body fluids of persons that have been exposed, treated, and conquered it for even more than 12 months and those around them can get the virus in their body fluids.

“For example, a husband that has just recovered might readily transfer the virus in his semen to his wife when they are having intercourse. They may have the virus in their urine, therefore efforts must be made to follow up on individuals who are just healing and educate them. The virus might be found in her breast milk even after a woman has been treated. Breastfeeding should be discouraged for such people, and spouses should be cautious as well. The virus is present in all bodily fluids, including blood and saliva. It has been found in human fluids for more than six months.”

AResearchpublished in the Pan African Medical Journal in 2020 also showed that LASV detection in seminal fluid

The study, titled ‘Monitoring of Lassa virus infection in suspected and confirmed cases in Ondo State, Nigeria,’ and led by a medical/molecular virologist, Dr. Olumuyiwa Salu, at the Centre for Human and Zoonotic Virology, Central Research Laboratory, College of Medicine, UNILAG, concluded that safe sex practices, such as sexual abstinence and use of male or female latex condom, as well as abstinence
“The implications of viral persistence in such immunological havens are now being recognized as possible sources of new epidemics through sexual transmission for several numbers of other emerging infectious viruses, including Lassa, Ebola, and Zika viruses,” it continued.