City
Epaper

Covid virus can cause changes in sperm, raise anxiety risk in future generations: Study

By IANS | Updated: October 14, 2025 12:35 IST

New Delhi, Oct 14 While Covid-19 infection is known to have lasting effects on the brain, an alarming ...

Open in App

New Delhi, Oct 14 While Covid-19 infection is known to have lasting effects on the brain, an alarming animal study showed that SARS-CoV-2 infection in fathers before conception can cause changes in sperm, altering children’s brain development and behaviour, and increasing the risk of anxiety later.

The findings, published in the journal Nature Communications, show that Covid could have long-lasting effects on future generations.

Previous studies have shown that male mice exposed to specific environmental and lifestyle factors, like a poor diet before mating, could change brain development and behaviour in offspring.

"This is because the father's experiences can alter the information carried in sperm, including specific RNA molecules, which transmit instructions for offspring development," said lead researcher Professor Anthony Hannan at the University of Melbourne’s Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health in Australia.

In the new study, the team wanted to see whether the Covid virus would have a similar effect on sperm RNA and the offspring.

To probe, the team let male mice recover from SARS-CoV-2 infection for a few weeks before they mated with healthy females.

The offspring showed more anxious behaviours compared to offspring from uninfected fathers.

All offspring from Covid-affected fathers displayed increased anxiety-like behaviours. Female offspring also had significant changes in specific gene activity in their brain's hippocampus region, which is important for anxiety, depression, and other affective behaviors.

"These kinds of changes in the hippocampus, as well as other brain regions, may contribute to the increased anxiety we observed in offspring, via epigenetic inheritance and altered brain development," said Dr. Carolina Gubert from the Institute.

Further analysis of the RNA from the infected fathers' sperm showed that Covid had altered various molecules, including some involved in the regulation of genes that are known to be important in brain development.

"If our findings translate to humans, this could impact millions of children worldwide, and their families, with major implications for public health," said Hannan, while calling for more research.

Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor

Open in App

Related Stories

NationalRevival plot in motion: ISI deploys smugglers, drones, and gangsters to reignite Khalistan

CricketNilakshi de Silva, Chamari Athapaththu Power Sri Lanka to 258/6 Against New Zealand in ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 (VIDEO)

Other SportsISSF World C’ship Shotgun: Focus shifts to trap events as India look to renew medal hunt

NationalNHRC seeks report on firecracker factory blast in Andhra Pradesh’s Konaseema

NationalBihar polls: BJP’s candidate list reflects caste and gender balance

Health Realted Stories

HealthPoliceman attacked while trying to stop protest over child's death in Bengal

HealthBoosting health literacy, self-care in youth may help prevent early onset of NCDs in India: Experts

HealthBangladesh: Five more people die of dengue, fatalities in 2025 rise to 238

HealthRajasthan: BJP leader hospitalised in Jaipur at soldier's funeral

HealthMore than 1 in 3 people worldwide live with brain disorders, 11 million die annually: Report