For the first time, scientists have detected the monkeypox virus in the testes of macaques during the acute phase of infection, according to research published online today in the journal Nature Microbiology. In addition, the team found preliminary evidence of persistent infection in two animals that survived challenges with the virus. Their results highlight the potential for sexual transmission of the virus in humans.
The ongoing 2022 monkeypox outbreak has been linked to sexual contact in patients with laboratory-confirmed infection. As the virus can be transmitted through direct contact with bodily fluids and skin lesions, understanding the biology of monkeypox infection of the testes, and virus shedding in semen, has substantial public health implications.