Mosquito-borne viruses and male infertility: Zika was just the beginning - the impact of dengue on sperm DNA integrity

Hafsa Tariq; Dua Asim; Mahnoor Sheikh; Jaber Hamad Jaber Amin

doi:10.1097/MS9.0000000000005181

Mosquito-borne viruses and male infertility: Zika was just the beginning - the impact of dengue on sperm DNA integrity

Ann Med Surg (Lond). 2026 May 28;88(7):4776-4777. doi: 10.1097/MS9.0000000000005181. eCollection 2026 Jul.

Authors

Hafsa Tariq¹, Dua Asim¹, Mahnoor Sheikh¹, Jaber Hamad Jaber Amin²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Medicine, Jinnah Sindh Medical University, Karachi, Pakistan.
² Department of Medicine, University of Sinnar, Sinnar, Sudan.

Abstract

Dengue is resurging globally (~14 million cases in 2024). Emerging evidence suggests that dengue infection may transiently impair male fertility. Acute dengue has been associated with reversible declines in sperm count, with potential increases in sperm DNA fragmentation, possibly mediated by fever-induced oxidative stress. We review dengue's effects on sperm, compare them with Zika's impact, and highlight implications for fertility counseling.

Keywords: Zika virus; dengue virus; male infertility; oxidative stress; sperm DNA fragmentation; sperm DNA integrity.

Publication types

Letter