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By Ezekiel David
Oropouche virus, sometimes called “sloth fever,” is a relatively obscure disease spread by insect bites. It has historically been considered mild, but recent developments, including its rapid spread and reports of severe cases and fatalities, have caused alarm among health officials.
What you need to know:
1. What is Oropouche Virus?
- Oropouche virus was first discovered in 1955 in Trinidad and Tobago.
- About 60% of those infected develop symptoms similar to dengue or Zika:
– Sudden fever, chills, headache
– Muscle and joint pain
– Eye pain, light sensitivity
– Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea
– Fatigue and rash
- In rare cases, it can infect the nervous system, leading to meningitis or encephalitis.
- “This is a great example for us to think about what it was like when we saw Zika being introduced into this country,” said Janet Hamilton, executive director of the US Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists.
2. Transmission and Spread
- The virus spreads through bites from infected insects, primarily midges (tiny flies) and certain mosquitoes.
- It’s endemic to the Amazon basin, where it circulates between insects and animals like rodents, sloths, and birds.
- Travellers to these areas can become infected and carry the virus to urban locations.
- Climate change and deforestation increase the risk of spread by creating more opportunities for human-insect interaction.
3. Current Outbreak and Concerns
- As of August 1, over 8,000 cases have been reported, mainly in South America, but also in new regions.
- “Although the disease has historically been described as mild, the geographic spread in transmission and the detection of more severe cases underscore the need for increased surveillance and characterisation of possible more severe manifestations,” the Pan American Health Organisation said in a statement.
- The current outbreak is spreading rapidly in known areas and new locations, including Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, and Peru.
- While the risk of sustained local transmission in the continental US is considered low, areas like Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands with similar environments to Cuba face a more uncertain risk.
- Shifts in the virus’s geographic spread suggest new vectors may be involved.
- “We do need to get a little bit more information so we can better reflect areas that might be at risk for it,” said Dr. Erin Staples, a medical epidemiologist with the US CDC’s Division of Vector-Borne Diseases.
4. Severe Outcomes and Fatalities
- 2024 marks the first reported deaths and evidence of mother-to-fetus transmission causing adverse birth outcomes.
- Brazil reported deaths in two young, healthy, non-pregnant women, with a third fatality under investigation.
- At least five cases in pregnant women resulted in fetal death or congenital abnormalities, including microcephaly.
5. Protection and Prevention
- Currently, there is no vaccine or specific antiviral treatment for Oropouche virus.
- Laboratory testing can confirm cases, but it’s not widely available, and ruling out more common viruses like dengue is often necessary.
- The CDC recommends the following precautions, especially for travellers to affected regions:
– Avoid going out at dawn and dusk when insects are most active
– Wear protective clothing to minimise exposed skin
– Use effective insect repellent
– Pregnant women are advised to reconsider non-essential travel to Cuba
- “This is a good time to think about mosquito bite prevention: Avoid going out at dawn and dusk, when mosquitoes are most likely to be biting; dress appropriately to protect your skin from bites from mosquitoes and other insects, and to use a mosquito repellent that is effective at preventing infections,” Hamilton said.
