OROPOUCHE FEVER
Two people in the Brazilian state of Bahia were the first people to die from
Oropouche fever, the country’s health ministry reported
July 25, 2024.
The two women, who were both
under the age of 30 years, had
no comorbidities but had experienced
symptoms similar to dengue fever.
Brazil’s health ministry said that until now:
“There have been no reports in the world’s scientific literature of deaths from the disease.
Up to late July, Brazil had recorded
7,236 cases of oropouche fever in 20 states, most of which, however, were recorded in
Amazonas and Rondônia.
In
2023, Brazil recorded about
840 cases.
IS THE SPREAD LIMITED TO BRAZIL?
Oropouche is
common in Latin America and
the Caribbean.
WHEN WAS IT FIRST DETECTED?
The virus was
first detected in Trinidad and Tobago in 1955. But it has been
detected in Europe in 2024.
Italy reported its
first-ever case of Oropouche in June 2024. It was also the first case ever to be detected in continental Europe. The patient diagnosed in Italy had recently returned from a trip to the Caribbean.
HOW DOES IT SPREAD?
Oropouche virus disease is
transmitted through the bites of infected midges and mosquitoes.
Although the disease has long been circulating in
Central and South America and the
Caribbean, some countries have seen a
sharp rise in diagnosed cases this year.
The disease is spreading to other countries that have never detected cases of Oropouche fever before. On
June 11,
2024 the WHO reported the
first-ever outbreak in Cuba.
SYMPTOMS & TREATMENT
Oropouche fever is caused by the Oropouche virus, which is transmitted most often through the
bite of the
Culicoides paraensis midge.
There is
no evidence of human-to-human transmission of the disease — to date. Symptoms of the disease are
similar to dengue and
typically start between four and eight days after the bite:
- Fever, ? chills,
- Headaches, ? joint stiffness and
- pain, ? sometimes nausea and vomiting.
Most patients
recover in about seven days.
According to the WHO,
severe cases are rare. There is
no specific vaccine or antiviral treatment available for the disease.
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