Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Sex After a Field Trip Yields Scientific Discovery

Posted by samzenpus on from the congratulations-on-your-infection dept.

sciencehabit writes "A US vector biologist appears to have accidentally written virological history simply by having sex with his wife after returning from a field trip to Senegal. A study just released in Emerging Infectious Diseases suggests that the researcher, Brian Foy of Colorado State University, passed to his wife the Zika virus, an obscure pathogen that causes joint pains and extreme fatigue. If so, it would be the first documented case of sexual transmission of an insect-borne disease. The curious case also solves a viral mystery that's been going on for years."

7 of 143 comments (clear)

  1. I'm willing.... by Lord_of_the_nerf · · Score: 4, Funny

    ...to act as a control if you want.

    I'll be in the booth with no disease and Christina Hendricks. For science of course.

    1. Re:I'm willing.... by MyLongNickName · · Score: 5, Funny

      You already are in the "no sex" control group. Thanks for your contribution.

      --
      See my journal for slashdot ID's by year. Mine created in 2005. http://slashdot.org/journal/289875/slashdot-ids-by-year
    2. Re:I'm willing.... by syousef · · Score: 5, Funny

      You already are in the "no sex" control group. Thanks for your contribution.

      It might not be valid scientifically but so is Brian Foy, for the foreseeable future I would think.

      --
      These posts express my own personal views, not those of my employer
  2. Re:Nice job by Darinbob · · Score: 4, Funny

    Add to this all the inconvenience of being followed around all day by researchers documenting her every move, hoping to catch any mating procedures on film.

  3. Re:Who was having sex with whom again? by GodfatherofSoul · · Score: 5, Funny

    Both the doctor and student got the disease from insects in Senegal. The doctor returned home and infected his wife. But, being a grad student, even if he did screw his wife the doctor would still get the credit.

    --
    I swear to God...I swear to God! That is NOT how you treat your human!
  4. Re:Uh... by Kozz · · Score: 5, Funny

    Hmm. I think you and I must have gone to very different Boy Scout camps. (The difference is probably some kind of lawsuit).

    --
    I only post comments when someone on the internet is wrong.
  5. Asked and answered. by Oxford_Comma_Lover · · Score: 4, Informative

    They considered that, but circumstantial evidence pointed to sexual transmission. According to TFA, the virus has to complete a 2-week life cycle within the insect before it can infect the next human; Foy's wife fell ill just 9 days after his return. Thus she did not get it from an insect bite. In addition, the mosquitoes in that region are not known carriers. (Different species.)

    --
    -- IANAL, this isn't legal advice, and definitely isn't legal advice for you. Also, Squee!