The Center
for Disease Control (CDC) recently issued an interim update to its guidance for
Preconception Counseling and Prevention of Sexual Transmission of Zika Virus
for Men with Possible Zika Virus Exposure. The recommendations were published
in the weekly Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR).
Zika
infection in pregnancy may cause multiple abnormalities including congenital Zika syndrome which includes– severe anencephaly, decreased brain tissue,
macular scarring and focal pigmentary retinal mottling, clubfoot or
arthrogryposis, and hypertonia restricting body movement soon after birth.
Zika
infection is transmitted primarily through the bite of infected Aedes aegypti
mosquito or through unprotected sex with an infected partner. Since 2015, 52
confirmed cases of sexual transmitted Zika infection have been known in the US.
In most of the cases, the transmission occurred from infected men to women,
although some instances of men to men and women to men transmission are also
known.
The recent
CDC update is for men with a possible Zika exposure who are planning a
pregnancy with their partners or who want to prevent the sexual transmission of
Zika anytime.
CDC now
recommends that men with Zika exposure should wait for a minimum of 3 months
after the onset of Zika Symptoms (symptomatic) or after Zika
exposure(asymptomatic) before they plan a pregnancy with their partners.
If the
couple is not planning a pregnancy, they should use condoms or abstain from sex
for three months to prevent the sexual transmission of infection.
Recommendations for men with
possible Zika virus exposure whose partner is pregnant remains unchanged, they are
advised to consistently and correctly use condoms during sex or abstain from
sex for the duration of the pregnancy.
