So far, 19 cases have been reported in Europe, all involving travellers who had visited the same two countries.
advertisement
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has warned about an increase in cases of Oropauche virus infection in the Americas, and cases have also been reported in Europe.
In June and July this year, 19 cases of Oropouche virus disease, also known as “sloth fever,” were reported for the first time in European countries.
All of the symptomatic travellers who returned to Europe had been to Cuba or Brazil.
Read on for what travelers need to know about this deadly disease and how to stay safe.
Where are travelers contracting Oropuche virus?
Since late last year, the virus has been identified as causing major outbreaks in new areas of South America and the Caribbean, as well as in the Amazon region where it was known to exist.
Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Cuba and Peru have reported around 8,000 cases of local transmission.
As of August, 19 cases have been reported in European countries, including 12 in Spain, 5 in Italy and 2 in Germany. According to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, 18 of the cases had travelled to Cuba and one to Brazil.
What is the Oloporchis virus?
Oropouche is a tropical forest virus that was first identified in 1955 in a 24-year-old forest worker in Trinidad and was named after the nearby village and wetlands.
The virus is sometimes called sloth fever because the scientists who first studied it found it in three-toed sloths and believed that sloths played an important role in the spread of the virus between insects and animals.
Symptoms of oropouche are similar to those of dengue fever, Zika and malaria.
What are the symptoms and treatment of Oropouche?
Symptoms may appear similar to other tropical diseases such as dengue fever, Zika, and malaria.
After an incubation period of 3 to 10 days, patients usually experience sudden onset of fever, chills, headache, muscle and joint pain. Other symptoms may include retroorbital pain, photophobia, vomiting, diarrhea, fatigue, maculopapular rash, conjunctival injection, and abdominal pain, according to the CDC.
Most people infected with Oropouche recover, but some may relapse and up to one in 20 people may develop more severe symptoms, including bleeding, meningitis, or encephalitis. It is rarely fatal, but there have been recent reports of the deaths of two healthy young people in Brazil.
There is no vaccine to prevent infection and no medicines currently available to treat the symptoms.
Who is most at risk from Oropouche?
In Brazil, authorities are investigating reports that pregnant women may be able to spread the infection to their unborn babies, a frightening development reminiscent of what happened during the Zika epidemic nearly a decade ago.
advertisement
The CDC advised pregnant women to avoid nonessential travel to Cuba and suggested all travelers take precautions to prevent insect bites, such as using insect repellent and wearing long-sleeved shirts and long pants.
How does the Oropouche virus spread?
The virus is transmitted to humans by tiny biting flies called midges and certain mosquitoes, and is thought to have been contracted during visits to forested areas, helping the virus enter towns and cities, although no person-to-person transmission has been documented.
How many cases were there?
There have been 19 cases in Europe, but this is small compared to the 8,000 confirmed cases in the Americas.
Twenty-one people who returned to the US from Cuba were infected with the virus, 20 in Florida and one in New York, all of whom had visited Cuba.
advertisement
Source link
