Abstract
To the Editor:
We read with interest the article by Castilletti et al. that showed prolonged shedding of Oropouche virus (OROV) in various body fluids. In addition, the authors isolated OROV from semen of 1 patient. The findings of that report coincide with multiple relevant findings, including our similar observation and findings of OROV-specific IgM in 6 of 68 newborns with microcephaly and of OROV vertical transmission resulting in fetal death.
Using real-time reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR), we detected OROV infection in a male patient returning to the Netherlands from Cuba in August 2024. We also detected OROV seroconversion by using in-house methods and excluded dengue virus infection. The patient recovered without complications and agreed to donate follow-up samples (i.e., urine, blood, feces, and semen). OROV genome was still detectable by real-time RT-PCR in all samples except feces up to 32 days after symptom onset, which is longer than was generally described before the article published by Castilletti et al. RT-PCR cycle threshold (Ct) values in all specimens gradually increased, and thus viral load reduced over time. Urine and semen samples obtained 17 and 32 days after symptom onset had the lowest Ct values (Ct 21.8 for urine and 25.5 for semen on day 17, and 24.7 for urine and 29.8 for semen on day 32), but virus culture was unsuccessful. We obtained near full-length genomes from serum, urine, and semen at both time points by using amplicon-based Nanopore sequencing (GenBank accession nos. PQ572768–PQ572779). Moreover, the partial sequence obtained from the later semen sample contained 2 single-nucleotide polymorphisms in the large segment, which may indicate prolonged virus replication in the immune-privileged testis.
The increasing evidence that OROV infection during pregnancy can affect fetal development is concerning. Although sexual transmission of OROV has yet to be fully studied, our findings, along with those of Castilletti et al., indicate potential. However, the outbreak, although slowing, is still ongoing in Central and South America.
We read with interest the article by Castilletti et al. that showed prolonged shedding of Oropouche virus (OROV) in various body fluids. In addition, the authors isolated OROV from semen of 1 patient. The findings of that report coincide with multiple relevant findings, including our similar observation and findings of OROV-specific IgM in 6 of 68 newborns with microcephaly and of OROV vertical transmission resulting in fetal death.
Using real-time reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR), we detected OROV infection in a male patient returning to the Netherlands from Cuba in August 2024. We also detected OROV seroconversion by using in-house methods and excluded dengue virus infection. The patient recovered without complications and agreed to donate follow-up samples (i.e., urine, blood, feces, and semen). OROV genome was still detectable by real-time RT-PCR in all samples except feces up to 32 days after symptom onset, which is longer than was generally described before the article published by Castilletti et al. RT-PCR cycle threshold (Ct) values in all specimens gradually increased, and thus viral load reduced over time. Urine and semen samples obtained 17 and 32 days after symptom onset had the lowest Ct values (Ct 21.8 for urine and 25.5 for semen on day 17, and 24.7 for urine and 29.8 for semen on day 32), but virus culture was unsuccessful. We obtained near full-length genomes from serum, urine, and semen at both time points by using amplicon-based Nanopore sequencing (GenBank accession nos. PQ572768–PQ572779). Moreover, the partial sequence obtained from the later semen sample contained 2 single-nucleotide polymorphisms in the large segment, which may indicate prolonged virus replication in the immune-privileged testis.
The increasing evidence that OROV infection during pregnancy can affect fetal development is concerning. Although sexual transmission of OROV has yet to be fully studied, our findings, along with those of Castilletti et al., indicate potential. However, the outbreak, although slowing, is still ongoing in Central and South America.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 205-206 |
| Number of pages | 2 |
| Journal | Emerging Infectious Diseases |
| Volume | 31 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| Early online date | 10 Dec 2024 |
| DOIs |
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| Publication status | Published - Jan 2025 |
