ABUJA, Nigeria – The World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned that Ebola survivors may still transmit the virus through sexual contact if it persists in their semen after clinical recovery, urging male survivors to follow recommended precautions and undergo testing where available.
Patrick Otim, Programme Area Manager for Emergency Response at the WHO Regional Office for Africa, explained the risk during a video question-and-answer session published on Wednesday, 28 October 2026.
Otim said recovery from the acute illness does not necessarily mean the virus has been eliminated from every part of the body. Ebola virus can persist in certain sites, including the testes, creating a potential risk of sexual transmission through infected semen.
The WHO recommends that male survivors receive counselling on safer sexual practices and access to condoms. Where testing services are available, survivors should undergo regular semen testing until they obtain two consecutive negative results.
In settings where semen testing is unavailable, the WHO recommends safer sexual practices for 12 months to reduce the risk of transmission. The organisation has documented sexual transmission through infected semen up to 15 months after clinical recovery. Otim also addressed concerns about other bodily fluids. He said people who have recovered and met the required discharge criteria are not expected to transmit Ebola through sweat or saliva in the manner associated with active illness.
Patients must meet clinical and laboratory requirements before discharge. However, people who are still acutely ill can transmit the virus through direct contact with infected bodily fluids. The guidance comes amid a regional outbreak of Ebola disease caused by the Bundibugyo virus, with cases reported in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Kenya and Nigeria.
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