{"id":802227,"date":"2026-05-17T05:54:15","date_gmt":"2026-05-17T05:54:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/802227\/"},"modified":"2026-05-17T05:54:15","modified_gmt":"2026-05-17T05:54:15","slug":"hantavirus-can-survive-in-semen-6-years-after-infection-study","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/802227\/","title":{"rendered":"Hantavirus can survive in semen 6 years after infection: Study"},"content":{"rendered":"

(NewsNation<\/a>) \u2014 A 2023 study suggesting the hantavirus can live for years in semen and be transmitted sexually long after infection is getting attention following the deadly outbreak on the MV Hondius<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Three passengers on the Dutch\u2011flagged cruise ship died after contracting the Andes strain of hantavirus, and several others were infected. A small number of Americans<\/a> who disembarked have either tested positive or are being monitored in the United States.<\/p>\n

Global health officials say the Andes strain \u2014 the only known form of hantavirus capable of person\u2011to\u2011person transmission \u2014 is not expected to trigger a pandemic. However, the virus has a mortality rate estimated at up to 40%.<\/p>\n

Gold prices drop resulting from Strait of Hormuz closure, dealer says <\/a><\/p>\n

The recent cases have prompted renewed focus on a peer\u2011reviewed study<\/a>, \u201cPresence and Persistence of Andes Virus RNA in Human Semen,\u201d published in 2023 in the journal Viruses.<\/p>\n

In that study, Swiss researchers analyzed<\/a> a 55\u2011year\u2011old man who had survived severe complications from Andes hantavirus nearly six years earlier. While the virus was no longer detected in his blood or urine, researchers found viral RNA in his semen.<\/p>\n

Based on those findings, the researchers concluded that sexual transmission of the virus could be possible for up to 71 months after the initial infection, though they noted more research is needed to better understand the risk.<\/p>\n

Scientists said the persistence of pathogens in the male reproductive system is not unique. Viruses such as Ebola and Zika have also been shown to remain in semen and, in some cases, be transmitted sexually.<\/p>\n

Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.<\/p>\n

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NewsNation. <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"(NewsNation) \u2014 A 2023 study suggesting the hantavirus can live for years in semen and be transmitted sexually…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":802228,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[316365,210,67,132,68],"class_list":{"0":"post-802227","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-health","8":"tag-hantavirus","9":"tag-health","10":"tag-united-states","11":"tag-unitedstates","12":"tag-us"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/116588371370128054","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/802227","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=802227"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/802227\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/802228"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=802227"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=802227"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=802227"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}