Think Before You Kiss: Virus In Saliva May Cause Unexplained Infertility

A couple of factors such as alcohol, caffeine, and poor diet have all been connected to poor fertility. However, just recently, scientists have found a strong link between unexplained fertility and a mysterious virus which experts believe can be transmitted by kissing.

Tech Times reported that researchers from the Italy's University of Ferrara led by Dario DiLuca, Roberta Rizzo and Roberto Marci, examined the uterus of 66 female subjects. Among them, 35 have normal fertility while 30 have unknown primary infertility.

Experts found that 43 percent of these women have been infected by a lesser-known herpes virus called HHV-6A. This virus has not been found in any of the uterus of the female subjects who does not have fertility problems.

The study, published in the journal PLoS One, described how the women infected with HHV-6A were found to have abnormal levels of cytokines, which are signaling proteins that facilitate interactions between cells which has a major role in supporting fertilized eggs and the development of the fetus.

The Telegraph also reported that scientists also found an increased level of estradiol, a hormone that usually fluctuated during menstrual cycle and may trigger the HHV-6A infection. Experts said that the virus is not often seen in the blood or saliva, so the true prevalence remains to be unknown. However, it was found that the virus replicates in the salivary glands and past research indicated that it can be transmitted through kissing.

Herpes viruses have previously linked in male infertility. But, there hasn't been a virus that can conclusively be connected with female infertility.

"This is a surprising discovery," said Anthony Komaroff, a professor at Harvard Medical School who has studied HHV-6. "If confirmed, the finding has the potential to improve the outcome for a large subset of infertile women."

Scientists are still convinced that there are different biological factor to trigger an HHV-6A infection. And although some are sure that a humble kiss can transmit it, other factors should be taken into consideration and be investigated so scientists can try to figure out exactly what's going on, Science Alert reported.

"Further studies are required to confirm the association of HHV-6A infection as a trigger of female primary unexplained infertility," conclude the researchers in their report. "Indeed, there are several potential mechanisms by which HHV-6 might induce female infertility."

Up to this date, there are still little data on HHV-6A which was first discovered in 1986. It was found to be one of the eight herpes virus that infect humans.