Outbreaks of an insect-borne virus have popped up around South America which experts have described as "unprecedented." Cases of the virus have also been reported in several European countries for the first time and two young women have died so far this year as a result of the infection.
Oropouche disease is spread by the bite of infected midges and mosquitoes. Its symptoms are similar to those of dengue fever and include headaches, fever, muscle aches, stiff joints, nausea, vomiting, chills, and light sensitivity.
In severe cases, the virus can invade the nervous system, potentially resulting in meningitis, encephalitis, and other potentially fatal neuroinvasive conditions. According to the Centers for Disease Control, this only occurs in about 4 percent of patients.
In the majority of cases, symptoms emerge three to 10 days after infection and last for between two to seven days. However, in 60 percent of patients, symptoms can reoccur days or even weeks later, and persistent weakness and malaise has been noted in some patients for up to a month following disease onset.
The virus was first detected in 1955, in the village of Oropouche in Trinidad and Tobago—hence its name. Since then, roughly 500,000 cases have been recorded, and our knowledge of the disease is still fairly limited.
On July 24 this year, two deaths were reported for the first time in two young Brazilian women with no observed comorbidities.
That same month, a report by the Pan-American Health Organization highlighted concerns that the virus may be transmissible between mothers and their unborn babies during pregnancy, with the potential to cause birth defects and increase the likelihood of still births. Investigations are still ongoing to confirm these findings but Brazil has so far reported one confirmed fetal death and one miscarriage in relation to the virus, with three still under investigation, as well as four cases of birth defects.
According to the science journal Lancet Infectious Disease, this year has seen Oropouche outbreak on an "unprecedented scale." As of August 1, 8,078 cases have been confirmed in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia and Peru, as well as several cases in Cuba. In June and July, 19 cases were also reported in Europe—12 in Spain, five in Italy, and two in Germany. However, these cases were imported by people traveling home from Cuba and Brazil.
To date, there is no treatment for Oropouche disease or any vaccination. Common insect control measures, like insect repellent and mosquito nets, are not always effective against midges, which are very small and less affected by common repellents. However, chemical insecticides like deltamethrin and DEET have been shown to be effective against these insects.
Diagnostics and surveillance for Oropouche have improved but the Lancet authors say that more investment is "essential" to improve our understanding of this virus and control its spread.
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References
Diseases, N. L. I. (2024). Oropouche fever, the mysterious threat. The Lancet Infectious Diseases. https://doi.org/10.1016/s1473-3099(24)00516-4
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