It may potentially exacerbate or cause extremely severe illnesses. Individuals infected with Oropouche fever may experience a sudden onset of high fever, accompanied by aching joints and muscles, as well as nausea and potential vomiting. While most cases of zika virus infection are mild, a small percentage of individuals may develop more serious complications, including encephalitis and meningitis. And this yr, .
Oropouche virus may be vertically transmitted from mother to fetus, which has been associated with increased risks of stillbirths and congenital anomalies. There aren’t any remedies. There aren’t any vaccines, both. What’s driving the surge of Oropouche virus cases, and how are we countering its spread?
The Oropouche virus was initially identified in 1955 among an individual and a collection of mosquitoes sourced from the village of Vega de Oropouche in Trinidad and Tobago. In 1960, the species was discovered in a Brazilian sloth. Since then, more than 30 outbreaks have occurred in various international locations. According to reports, a staggering number of at least 500,000 occurrences have been documented in South America, primarily in regions surrounding dense forests.
It’s likely that this transmission pattern is a result of how the virus is primarily spread. Oropouche virus is suspected to be carried by certain populations of sloths, in addition to possibly being transmitted through non-human primates. The viruses can replicate in certain animal species, potentially spreading to humans through mosquito or midge bites.
A sudden and significant spike in cases occurred in Brazil. According to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), as of this year’s start, a total of 10,275 cases of Oropouche fever have been confirmed across the Americas, data released earlier this week reveals. As of 2022, a staggering 8,258 reported COVID-19 cases globally have been linked to travel to Brazil alone. For the first time, vacationing visitors have brought instances of this phenomenon to the US and Europe – a total of 120 cases have been reported: 90 in the US and 30 in Europe.
This time around, the virus has spread to urban areas, bypassing the typical forest-based transmission routes. It’s unclear why this is the case, but there may be a limited number of underlying factors. As local climate patterns shift, rising temperatures and altered precipitation patterns have inadvertently fostered ideal breeding conditions for insects that transmit the virus. Deforestation and urbanisation, processes that have prompted humans to encroach upon the natural habitats of wild animals, have also increased the likelihood of zoonotic transmission, notes Ana Pereiro do Vale, a veterinarian and microbiologist at University College Dublin in Ireland.
