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Assay reliably detects Zika RNA in semen

Issue: June 2017

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NEW ORLEANS — An assay used to detect Zika virus in urine reliably detected it in semen as well, according to researchers.

The accuracy of the Aptima Zika assay, marketed by Hologic Inc., means that clinicians have another method of preventing transmission of Zika virus (ZIKV), they said at ASM Microbe.

“Zika is documented to be present in semen for up to 188 days, and sexual transmission is documented as well,” study researcher Hisham Greiss, MD, PhD, director of the Fertility and Cryogenics Lab in Downers Grove, Illinois, told Infectious Disease News.

The risks associated with Zika can make it difficult for couples to plan for conception, he said, including those who live in or have traveled to areas where the virus is endemic.

Hisham Greiss, MD, PhD, is shown here in an embryology lab, where he can address the concerns of sperm donors who are fearful they may have submitted Zika virus-infected semen. 

Source: Mariam Armia/Hisham Greiss

“By testing for Zika in ejaculate, we can bring peace of mind for all these concerns,” Greiss said.

In their study, Greiss and colleagues spiked 100 semen samples with recombinant ZIKV at 5 viral copies per mL. They mixed the samples with the Aptima urine transport medium at a 1:1 ratio.

The samples were also tested for West Nile virus, Chagas disease, dengue, recombinant dengue virus, recombinant chikungunya virus, HPV, herpes simplex viruses 1 and 2, chlamydia and gonorrhea, to detect any cross-reactivity. The experiment was conducted three times in triplicates.

The assay was 100% sensitive and 100% specific to ZIKV RNA, with a limit of detection of 5 viral copies per mL of semen, the researchers said. It is now available for patients for clinical testing.

They recommended ZIKV testing of semen samples in sperm banking, as well as for couples using assisted reproductive technology and those trying to conceive naturally. – by Joe Green

Reference:

Greiss H, et al. Accurate detection of Zika Virus in Semen Using Aptima Zika Virus Assay on the Fully Automated Panther System. Presented at: ASM Microbe; June 1-5, 2017; New Orleans.

Disclosure: Greiss reports no relevant financial disclosures.