BACKGROUND Ebola virus has been detected in the semen of men after their recovery from Ebola virus disease (EVD). We report the presence of Ebola virus RNA in semen in a cohort of survivors of EVD in Sierra Leone. METHODS We enrolled a convenience sample of 220 adult male survivors of EVD in Sierra Leone, at various times after discharge from an Ebola treatment unit (ETU), in two phases (100 participants were in phase 1, and 120 in phase 2). Semen specimens obtained at baseline were tested by means of a quantitative reverse-transcriptase–polymerase-chain-reaction (RT-PCR) assay with the use of the target sequences of NP and VP40 (in phase 1) or NP and GP (in phase 2). This study did not evaluate directly the risk of sexual transmission of EVD. RESULTS Of 210 participants who provided an initial semen specimen for analysis, 57 (27%) had positive results on quantitative RT-PCR. Ebola virus RNA was detected in the semen of all 7 men with a specimen obtained within 3 months after ETU discharge, in 26 of 42 (62%) with a specimen obtained at 4 to 6 months, in 15 of 60 (25%) with a specimen obtained at 7 to 9 months, in 4 of 26 (15%) with a specimen obtained at 10 to 12 months, in 4 of 38 (11%) with a specimen obtained at 13 to 15 months, in 1 of 25 (4%) with a specimen obtained at 16 to 18 months, and in no men with a specimen obtained at 19 months or later. Among the 46 participants with a positive result in phase 1, the median baseline cycle-threshold values (higher values indicate lower RNA values) for the NP and VP40 targets were lower within 3 months after ETU discharge (32.4 and 31.3, respectively; in 7 men) than at 4 to 6 months (34.3 and 33.1; in 25), at 7 to 9 months (37.4 and 36.6; in 13), and at 10 to 12 months (37.7 and 36.9; in 1). In phase 2, a total of 11 participants had positive results for NP and GP targets (samples obtained at 4.1 to 15.7 months after ETU discharge); cycle-threshold values ranged from 32.7 to 38.0 for NP and from 31.1 to 37.7 for GP. CONCLUSIONS These data showed the long-term presence of Ebola virus RNA in semen and declining persistence with increasing time after ETU discharge. (Funded by the World Health Organization and others.)

Death domain-associated protein (Daxx) is a multifunctional protein that modulates both apoptosis and transcription. Within the nucleus, Daxx is a component of the promyelocytic leukemia protein (PML) nuclear bodies (NBs) and interacts with a number of transcription factors, yet its precise role in transcription remains elusive. To further define the function of Daxx, we have isolated its interacting proteins in the nucleus using epitope-tagged affinity purification and identified X-linked mental retardation and ␣-thalassaemia syndrome protein (ATRX), a putative member of the SNF2 family of ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling proteins that is mutated in several X-linked mental retardation disorders. We show that substantial amounts of endogenous Daxx and ATRX exist in a nuclear complex. Daxx binds to ATRX through its paired amphipathic alpha helices domains. ATRX has ATPase activity that is stimulated by mononucleosomes, and patient mutations in the ATPase domain attenuate this activity. ATRX strongly represses transcription when tethered to a promoter. Daxx does not affect the ATPase activity of ATRX, however, it alleviates its transcription repression activity. In addition, ATRX is found in the PML-NBs, and this localization is mediated by Daxx. These results show that the ATRX⅐Daxx complex is a novel ATP-dependent chromatin-remodeling complex, with ATRX being the core ATPase subunit and Daxx being the targeting subunit. Moreover, the localization of ATRX to the PML-NBs supports the notion that these structures may play an important role in transcription regulation.