By Staff Writer (media@latinospost.com) | First Posted: May 03, 2015 06:42 PM EDT

New updates on ebola infection surfaced, showing that the risk lasts longer than expected.

CBC News wrote that individuals should avoid contact with semen from those who survived the Ebola virus. Compared to previous beliefs, the virus can survive for almost twice as long in semen.

USA Today said that a 44-year-old woman in Liberia was diagnosed with Ebola on March 20, 2015, which is the first new case of the virus in one month. Physicians were initially confused how she contracted the disease since she allegedly has not been to a funeral or had any contact with patients. The woman stated that she had unprotected sexual intercourse a few weeks before her diagnosis with a 45-year-old survivor who had been free of the virus since October 2014. The reportedly had sexual intercourse with another woman, although the latter tested negative for the disease.

The researchers stated in the same CDC report, "Previously, CDC and WHO recommended abstinence or condom use for at least 3 months following recovery from Ebola. However, to prevent transmission of Ebola, contact with semen from male survivors should be avoided."

The researchers also advised in the CDC report that male Ebola survivors should use a condom properly and consistently until more information is acquired. Although the findings are not definite, the Liberian woman's diagnosis can indicate that Ebola virus can survive longer in semen. More studies are being planned by the CDC to determine the duration that the virus can live in body fluids of survivors and the risk for sexual transmission.

Dr. Barbara Knust, an Ebola expert at the CDC, told NPR, "We have suspected that having sexual contact with survivors could be a potential way for people to become infected. Prior to this outbreak we did have messages given to male survivors to abstain from sex for three months and they were provided condoms."

Dr. Knust added, "I want to emphasize that we don't think this is lifelong. We think it's for some period of time for survivors. The thing that's difficult about this public health message is we don't know how many months that is. But it's not like HIV, where those recommendations are lifelong."

USA Today also notes that Ebola survivors are generally not known to be infectious. The disease is usually spread through blood and body fluids, and not through the air. A country is declared by the World Health Organization to be Ebola-free if no new case is known 42 days after the last.

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