According to a World Health Organization (WHO) official, the WHO is seriously looking into reports that there is presence of monkeypox virus in the semen of patients, exploring the possibility that the disease could be sexually transmitted.
Meanwhile,
Recently, scientists detected viral DNA in the semen of many monkeypox patients in Germany and Italy, including a lab-tested sample that pointed to the fact that the virus discovered in the semen of a single patient could infect another person.
The detection of viral DNA does not mean that monkeypox is a sexually transmitted disease like HIV/AIDS or syphilis, which according to investigations are caused by pathogens that are passed from one person to another in semen, vaginal secretions or other bodily fluids.
Viral DNA from viruses like the Zika virus has been discovered in semen, but it remains unclear whether the presence of genetic material boosts the risk of sexual transmission.
In a press briefing, Catherine Smallwood, monkeypox incident manager at WHO/Europe said it is unknown whether recent reports translate to the fact that the monkeypox virus can be sexually transmitted.
She said: “This may have been something that we were unaware of in this disease before.
“We really need to focus on the most frequent mode of transmission and we clearly see that to be associated with skin-to-skin contact.”
Since early May, over 1,300 cases of monkeypox have been announced in about 30 countries, mostly in Europe. Most cases have been reported in men who are gay.
The outbreak has brewed concern since monkeypox is rarely seen outside Africa, where it is prevalent, and most of the cases are not related to travel to the African continent.
Scientists are trying to find out what is triggering the current outbreak, its origins and if there are changes in the virus.
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