Risk of passing Zika virus with no symptoms to pregnant wife
Age: 32
Sex: Male
Height: 5'10
Weight: 190lbs
Race: Caucasian
Duration of complaint: n/a
Location (Geographic and on body): n/a
Any existing relevant medical issues (if any): n/a
Current medications (if any): none
My wife is pregnant (6 months) and she is concerned with me passing zika virus to her sexually. I have travelled several times to the Caribbean/South America for work (Guyana, Grenada, Ecuador) in the last 2 months. The CDC website (https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/page/zika-travel-information) advises that it is possible to pass zika, even if no symptoms have presented themselves. I visited my GP, and he had me get blood work to test for it, but I just received a call that the lab service they use rejected the sample and refused to test because I have not had any symptoms.
Should we still be avoiding sexual contact for the rest of the pregnancy even though I have not had any symptoms? I find it weird that they refused to test my sample, if the CDC advisory states that it can be passed on even without symptoms. Appreciate any feedback
Posted Mar 13, 2019, 3:38 PM UTC
The CDC has advised that men whether symptomatic or asymptomatic wait at least 3 months from last potential Zika exposure before unprotected sex.
The WHO advises 6 months wait regardless of symptoms; they admit this is a conservative recommendation but it is based on the paucity or data on Zika virus longevity in semen.
To answer your last question-
Testing of asymptomatic men is not advised by the CDC; this advice reflects in part the uncertainty about whether molecular/serological testing reflects the presence or absence of Zika in semen.
So your options if you want to be safe are abstinence or condoms.