Scientists may have discovered an STD that could explain infertility in men

A team of US scientists believe they have discovered a new sexually transmitted disease that, if left untreated, can lead to fatal liver failure and infertility.

Researchers at Ohio State University found that the hepatitis E virus was present in semen samples, suggesting that it can be transmitted sexually.

It was previously thought that the virus, which does not always cause symptoms, is spread only through contaminated water.

Experts found that sperm infected with the virus were less motile and had genetic defects, which they said could provide evidence of the virus’s role in cases of male infertility.

The present study was carried out on pigs, whose reproductive system is believed to be very similar to that of humans.

Scientists are now “pushing” for men suffering from infertility to be tested for hepatitis E, which could be a “potential cause” of their problems.

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Approximately 20 million cases of hepatitis E virus (HEV) occur worldwide each year, and only three million are symptomatic. Infections are more common in developing countries without clean water because virus cells in feces enter the water supply and infect individuals when they drink it.

Other types of hepatitis, including A, B, C and D, are all caused by different viruses and are spread in different ways, such as through blood or sexual fluids, as well as sharing needles.

Hepatitis E causes inflammation of the liver, which can give a yellowish tint to the skin and eyes, called jaundice. It can also cause abdominal pain, fever, weight loss, dark urine, and fatigue. Most people recover completely without lasting liver damage within four to six weeks.

In addition to increasing the risk of acute liver failure, the virus is also linked to fertility problems in men and neurological disorders.

While most patients recover on their own by rehydrating, replenishing electrolytes and taking medications to treat symptoms like nausea, the prognosis is poorer for pregnant women.

In the new study, researchers at Ohio State University isolated virus particles from the semen of infected pigs.

Researchers injected the virus into pigs and found that it circulated in the blood and was excreted in feces.

Eighty-four days after the injection, researchers discovered HEV on the pigs’ sperm heads. About 19 percent of the sperm contained particles of the virus, which were infectious, meaning the virus could have been transmitted to another pig.

Dr. Kush Yadav, an Ohio State researcher who led the study, said: “We can’t say that they (the virus cells) are on the outside or inside sperm.”

To further probe sperm quality, researchers analyzed 200 sperm to compare their movement and shape.

Sperm infected with the virus strain that can infect humans showed a 14 percent reduced ability to move through the reproductive tract, a measure called motility, compared to that of uninfected pigs.

More sperm in infected pigs were completely immobile compared to uninfected pigs.

Additionally, sperm from HEV-infected pigs were more likely to have abnormally shaped and sized heads and tails.

In humans, these morphological changes are known to decrease a man’s ability to impregnate a partner as well as increase the risk of causing changes to the fetus’s DNA, leading to birth defects.

That said, they can’t say for sure whether these changes translate directly into fertility problems.

Although the results, published in the journal PLoS Pathogens, are compelling, many important questions remain unanswered about the ability of HEV to be transmitted during sexual intercourse.

More research is needed to understand how sperm become infected with HEV, how long the virus persists in the testes, how long the virus can be shed by sperm, and whether sexual intercourse can lead to systemic infection in partners .

The country is grappling with a protracted STD crisis.

In 2021, gonorrhea reached its highest level since 1991 and syphilis since 1990.

Meanwhile, rates of chlamydia have nearly doubled over the past two decades.

STDs do not always have symptoms and, if diagnosed and left untreated, can have serious health consequences.

Syphilis is one of the most threatening, as it can be a direct cause of death (while human papillomavirus, HIV and hepatitis more often cause death due to secondary diseases).

This year, syphilis rates are at their highest level since the 1950s. An annual report from the CDC showed that 207,300 cases of STDs – which can cause sores on the genitals and mouth – were diagnosed nationwide in 2022, the latest year available.

This represents an increase of 17 percent in one year and 83 percent compared to five years ago.

Without treatment, patients with sores are at risk of the disease spreading to the brain and spinal cord, which can lead to vision loss, sensory problems, psychosis, paralysis or stroke.

Experts have pointed to a multitude of reasons for rising STD rates, including declining condom use, fewer local sexual health clinics and rampant drug use.

Hepatitis E is usually spread through contact with fecal matter, such as touching fecal particles, putting your hands to your mouth, drinking unclean water, and eating uncooked pork.

The risk of dying from hepatitis E infection is low, less than four percent.

However, the risk is considerably higher in pregnant women.

About 10 to 30 percent of pregnant women infected with HEV die during their third trimester. Pregnancy alters the immune system, making the mother’s body less able to fight infections.