Zika Virus Negatively Affects Male Fertility

In mice infected with Zika, testosterone levels decrease, testes decrease in volume, and sperm count decreases - all this, as expected, led to a decrease in animal fertility

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Scientists continue to study the Zika virus, discovering more and more negative consequences of infection. WHO has already recognized that it is Zika infection during pregnancy that causes microcephaly in newborns.

Now it has become clear that infection with the Zika virus negatively affects male sexual function. This has so far been shown only in male mice, but scientists from the Washington University School of Medicine do not exclude that the virus can affect males in a similar way.

Read more: Mysterious Zika Virus Infection

Doctors and experts are trying to deal with an unusual infection with the Zika virus. Recall that in June this year, it became known about the infection of a person who had not traveled to the areas where the virus was spread, and who had not had any sexual contact with those who were infected or had the possibility of becoming infected.

It has been shown that in infected mice, testosterone levels decrease, testes decrease in volume, and sperm count decreases - all this, as expected, leads to a decrease in animal fertility. The virus causes the destruction of Sertoli cells located in the testes tubules. Three weeks after infection, the mouse testes decreased tenfold in size, and the sperm count also decreased tenfold.

It is known that the virus can persist for a long time in the testes - for several months after it disappears from urine and blood. The size of the testes of the mice remained unchanged even 6 weeks after the virus was no longer detected in the blood of the animals.

In many cases, it is not possible to find out the cause of male infertility - now the authors believe that this may be due to infection with the Zika virus that occurred several months before the man attempted to conceive a child.

Scientists once again emphasize that so far they have been able to demonstrate a decrease in fertility only in male mice, and the study of this phenomenon has not been carried out in humans. The authors do not know if the men have actually been affected by the Zika virus or how often the complication occurs. In addition, it is not known how pronounced the consequences of infection with the Zika virus in men are, scientists do not exclude that in humans such a significant decrease in testicular size does not occur.

Source: Zika shrinks mice testicles, damaging fertility

Not only did male mice infected with the Zika virus have a tougher time getting females pregnant, their levels of sex hormones crashed, and their testicles shrunk by 90%, possibly permanently, according to new research by the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

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