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Updated: Jul 30, 2026

Dissecting Host-virus Interaction in Lytic Replication of a Model Herpesvirus
Published on: October 7, 2011
[Viral transmission and medically assisted procreation: the Herpesviridae case]
A-M Courtot1, C Pallier, J Testart
1Bâtiment 5, CEA, Inserm U 566, route du Panorama, 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France. anne-marie.courtot@cea.fr
Abstract:
Procreation with sperm donation is at present achieved by insemination either in the uterus or in vitro, always from ejaculated and washed spermatozoa. Then, the infectious risk only exists if the donor sperm is capable of transporting the virus or its DNA, either by adhesion or by integration. With CMV, HSV1 and HSV2, medically assisted procreation in couples (AI or IVF-ET) does not increase the risk of viral contamination as compared with natural procreation, except possibly the cases of surgical procedure to pick up testicular sperm to be used in ICSI. Animal experiments show that, even if viral material is introduced in the oocyte, it may be eliminated from the embryo, at least for CMV.
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