Zika virus can 'SHRINK a man's testicles quoting : The Sun

First author Ryuta Uraki, from Yale University, said: "This study shows how the Zika virus replicates in and damages testes. What is the Zika virus and how is it spread? PA:Press Association 2 Zika virus can survive for months in human semenAlthough the findings were in mice, they warned the findings could have devastating impacts for people as the virus can remain in human semen for months. Persistence of the mosquito born virus in testicles could also lead to it being sexually transmitted and may impair a man's fertility, scientists have discovered. A team of researchers discovered that the Zika virus continued to replicate in testicular cells even after it was cleared from the blood stream.




The new mouse model could be used in further research to investigate the immune response to Zika virus. A digitally-colorized transmission electron micrograph (TEM) of Zika virus, which is a member of the family Flaviviridae. "Our findings are particularly exciting because we now know that we can study the immune response to Zika virus in mice with a normal immune system," the authors explain. Like other viruses, Zika virus caused an innate and adaptive immune response in the mice. This approach led to identification of a specific portion ("epitope") of a Zika virus protein that is recognized by mouse T cells.

Zika virus harms testes, says study

The Zika virus reduces the size of testes in infected mice up to 21 days after infection, according to a new Yale study. "This study shows how the Zika virus replicates in and damages testes," said first author Ryuta Uraki. Other Yale study authors include Jesse Hwang, Kellie Ann Jurado, Sarah Householder, Laura J. Yockey, Andrew K. Hastings, Robert J. Homer, and Akiko Iwasaki. However, before the current study, it was not clear how the virus affected the testes, which produce testosterone and sperm. In humans, Zika virus can remain in semen months after infection.


collected by :Sandra Alex
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