Zika virus ‘could shrink a man’s testicles by 90%, lower his testosterone levels

[SplitDik (imported)]

I've been telling people that Zika virus is something we should be more scared of than people are. Things like West Nile are kinda bad, but Zika is proving to be extremely contagious (can be passed person to person months after infection, by sweat, saliva, sex, etc.) and attacks brain stem cells (whole generation of new brain cells can be wiped out) and reproductive organs (including the testicles). Being afraid of mosquito-borne illness is something we in the US generally haven't had to worry much about but soon all of Florida and Latin America might be castrated by this disease!

I honestly believe this is a bigger deal than AIDS -- whole countries may be reproductively destroyed, and generations of deformed babies born.

Anyway, here is some new research that is proving me right. From the article: After three weeks, the mice’s testicles had shrunk to one-tenth their normal size, and the internal structure was completely destroyed.

If it didn't also hurt the brain, it would be one of the easiest ways to be castrated. Just one mosquito then three weeks later -- no testicles!

Zika virus ‘could shrink a man’s testicles, lower his testosterone levels and leave him infertile

Zika virus ‘could shrink a man’s testicles, lower his testosterone levels and leave him infertile’

NOVEMBER 1, 201611:37AM

NEW research has revealed that the Zika virus could shrivel a man’s testicles, lower his testosterone levels and leave him infertile, experts have warned.

Though the new findings are in mice, scientists say the discovery could have worrying consequences for men infected by the mosquito-borne virus, according to The Sun.

To date, much of the research around Zika has focused on how it affects pregnant women and causes severe birth defects in unborn babies.

Studies have also shown it increases the risk of developing Guillain-Barré syndrome, which can leave a person temporarily paralysed.

But now, there are fears a man’s fertility could be affected – after a US study found the virus targets the male reproductive system.

Three weeks after male mice were infected with Zika, their testicles had shrunk, levels of their sex hormones had dropped and their fertility was reduced.

As a result, these mice were less likely to impregnate female mice.

Professor Michael Diamond, co-senior author of the study, from Washington University School of Medicine, said: “We undertook this study to understand the consequences of Zika virus infection in males.

“While our study was in mice – and with the caveat that we don’t yet know whether Zika has the same effect in men – it does suggest that men might face low testosterone levels and low sperm counts after Zika infection, affecting their fertility.”

The virus persists in men’s semen for months, studies have already revealed.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that men who have travelled to a Zika-endemic region use condoms for six months, regardless of whether they have had symptoms of Zika infection.

It is not known, however, what impact this lingering virus can have on men’s reproductive systems.

To explore the issue, researchers injected male mice with the virus.

After one week they noted it had already reached the testicles, which showed signs of inflammation.

Scientists at Washington University School of Medicine found mice infected with Zika suffered shrunken testicles, lower testosterone and as a result, lower sperm count. Picture: AP

Two weeks into the experiment, the team found the testicles were significantly smaller, their internal structure was collapsing, and many cells were dead or dying.

After three weeks, the mice’s testicles had shrunk to one-tenth their normal size, and the internal structure was completely destroyed.

The mice were monitored for six weeks – during which time their testicles did not heal, even though the virus had cleared from their bloodstream.

Prof Diamond said the damage done is likely to be permanent.

“We don’t know for certain if the damage is irreversible, but I expect so, because the cells that hold the internal structure in place have been infected and destroyed.”

As the testicles are responsible for producing sperm and testosterone, the scientists noted the mice’s sperm counts plummeted.

At the six-week mark, the number of motile sperm had fallen tenfold, and testosterone levels were similarly low.

Co-author Dr Kelle Moley said: “This is the only virus I know of that causes such severe symptoms of infertility.

“There are very few microbes that can cross the barrier that separates the testes from the bloodstream to infect the testes directly.”

Dr Derek Gatherer, from Lancaster University, who did not take part in the study, said while it’s known the virus finds its way into the reproductive organs, and is sexually transmitted, this is the first evidence “this passage through the reproductive tract may actually be damaging”.

He said: “Some clinical reports of pain in the lower pelvis of Zika patients, and blood in their sperm would be consistent with a similar effect happening in humans.”

While there have been no reports linking infertility in men to Zika infection, Dr Moley said it can be a difficult symptoms to identify in surveys.

“People often don’t find out that they’re infertile until they try to have children, and that could be years or decades after infection.

“I think it is more likely doctors will start seeing men with symptoms of low testosterone, and they will work backward to make the connection to Zika.”

Men with low testosterone, detected via blood test, are at risk of a low sex drive, erectile dysfunction, fatigue and loss of body hair and muscle.

Prof Diamond said human studies are now needed to ascertain the impact of infection in men.

The study is published in the journal Nature.

[turbo2011 (imported)]

The operative word is "could". It could vary with the individuals immune system and doctors are still not sure as to how many are affected.

[DeaconBlues (imported)]

I agree with turbo2011, the word is "could," the same can be said of mumps when the testicles are infected - it can cause permanent infertility, but how many people do you know, how many people do you even know of who are infertile from the mumps? Mumps have been around since forever, they are EXTREMELY contagious, no mosquito needed, just getting near an infected person can get you infected. I don't know anyone who is infertile from mumps, I actually had the mumps when I was a kid, it HURT like hell in my throat - my salivary glands were infected, not my testicles. I remember that the mumps can cause infertility, but it is not common. IF this zika virus was any REAL threat to testicles, it would have been big news by now. Given the booming populations in South and Central America, I would think the zika virus does NOT often result in destruction of the testicles. Seriously, the zika virus have been there for quite some time, if it were really infectious and regularly resulted in castration, then it would have been big news many years ago.

[JesusA (imported)]

Since I live out in the boondocks, my copies of Nature always arrive about a week later than the "official" date. I'll wait for a serious comment until I have a chance to read the full article. However, just the journalistic articles indicate that it may be a reasonably frequent occurrence (at least in mice). There are certainly enough human males who have had Zika that we should know soon if it's a common occurrence in humans as well.

[SplitDik (imported)]

I agree with turbo2011, the word is "could," the same can be said of mumps when the testicles are infected - it can cause permanent infertility, but how many people do you know, how many people do you even know of who are infertile from the mumps? Mumps have been around since forever, they are EXTREMELY contagious, no mosquito needed, just getting near an infected person can get you infected. I don't know anyone who is infertile from mumps, I actually had the mumps when I was a kid, it HURT like hell in my throat - my salivary glands were infected, not my testicles. I remember that the mumps can cause infertility, but it is not common. IF this zika virus was any REAL threat to testicles, it would have been big news by now. Given the booming populations in South and Central America, I would think the zika virus does NOT often result in destruction of the testicles. Seriously, the zika virus have been there for quite some time, if it were really infectious and regularly resulted in castration, then it would have been big news many years ago.

First of all, regarding mumps, the infertility is due to simple swelling not a direct attack of the virus on the tissue. In contrast, there is lots of proof that Zika primarily attacks reproductive organs. It actually lasts the longest in the testes, it ruins womens uterus, pregnant woman placentas, etc. This is a direct attack. Furthermore with mumps, everyone is vaccinated now for it but when it was around over 20% of people got serious effects including brain damage, deafness, etc.

Secondly, Zika in the present mutation has only been on Earth for less than a year. This is a mutated form and was never in Central or South America until about the World Cup (theory is that it was brought to Brazil around then).

I actually don't think that the castration effect would necessarily be noticed immediately. The article specifically states that. First of all, it mentions that infertility is generally only noticed when a person is consciously trying to have kids which may be years later. Regarding low hormones, many people go around with hypogonadism without even knowing it -- for example many soft/fat guys with breasts are simply suffering from it. Third, people in Central and South America don't generally have access to good health care. They are already often suffering from worse things. Lastly, South and Central America has a really macho culture -- very few guys would admit that their balls were shrinking.

Anyway, I'm not saying it is a sure thing. However, Zika is one of the most contagious new diseases, has recently mutated in a way known to specifically target reproductive organs, and in mice (which are used specifically because they often respond in a biologically similar way to humans) the results are pretty dramatic.

Another things is that if you have a disease, even if you get over it, it doesn't mean that no damage was done. If a disease attacks your brain, how many cells are you willing to lose? If it attacks your testicles even if you recover quickly maybe it will reduce fertility a bit, or reduce testosterone a bit.

But I'm willing to bet that there is a significant number of men whose testicles are permanently, seriously damaged by this disease.

[Losethem (imported)]

Here's the hope for all those men that seem to think castration should be easy. Go kiss a mosquito.

[Ernie of Maine (imported)]

Loosethem not just any mosquito you have to kiss the right one

Here's the hope for all those men that seem to think castration should be easy. Go kiss a mosquito.

[DeaconBlues (imported)]

OK, I think the zika virus might be a bigger threat than mumps were before there was a mumps vaccine, but I am still not convinced, I am only saying it might be and so far, I have not seen or read any news to make me think the zika virus as it currently exists is any real threat to human fertility. Now, IF the virus were to mutate it could very well become an apocalyptic plague, but that can be said of any microbe. The zika virus still requires a vector (the mosquito) or intimate contact to transmit to another victim, the human race survived many other epidemics, much much more virulent and fatal (e.g. ebola, "black death," smallpox, the "Spanish flu" of 1918) that did NOT require a mosquito or intimate contact to transmit.

I sort of think the possibility of some virus solving all of our problems of overpopulation is something we all secretly wish for, but it is not at all that likely, it is just what so many of us secretly wish for and want to see happen - just because we wish for it does not mean it will happen. I will need to see a LOT more before I get alarmed.

[SplitDik (imported)]

Note that Zika is already unusual in that it is transmitted by a more common (in North America and Europe) mosquito than almost all other mosquito borne illnesses. Also it is contagious for up to six months after infection and many people don't realize they are infected. So this has high chance of being a pandemic. It also seems to be harbored in other mammals as well. Compared to HIV Zika is much more transmissible by sex as all sexual fluids are full of it as is saliva.

We already have 13 cases of people in usa getting the crippling guillain-barre disease out of 4000 reported infections. Even Canada has had case of a traveler who had deformed baby from Zika.

The difference with flus is that they tend to go in waves whereas mosquito borne illness is a continuous presence. Basically if you live in a malaria area you will get it in your life and if you live in Brazil you will get Zika.

The thing that sucks is that in North America we have generally been free of mosquito borne illness. Now you have the added worry that taking your kids to Disney world could cause them irreparable damage just from a mosquito bite. I know this that may be small risk but it is an added risk on top of all the others you already take when traveling.

[Eunuchorn (imported)]

me. My dad had the Mumps and and to adopt me because of it. said the swelled up to the size of grapefruits. he never had them removed although they no longer worked for sperm production. I wonder how much hormone production is left in a post-mumps testicle.

:dong: