There is growing concern about the Oropouche virus, which is widespread mainly in Central and South America and the Caribbean, but has also recorded 4 cases in Italy so far.
The infection caused the first two deaths in Brazil, in the state of Bahia. and these are the first recorded worldwide, according to the Italian ansa. The confirmation came from Brazil’s Ministry of Health.
What is Oropouche virus
Oropouche fever is a tropical viral infection transmitted by midges and mosquitoes, named after the area where it was first discovered and isolated in 1955, at the Trinidad Regional Laboratory, near the Oropouche River, in Trinidad and Tobago.
The first death was confirmed on June 17. The patient was 24 years old, lived in Valença, Bahia state and had been dead since March. The second death, a woman, was recorded last Monday and the health ministry is still investigating another suspicious death in Santa Catarina state.
The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) also issued an epidemiological alert to inform member countries about the detection of possible cases of mother-to-child transmission of the virus during pregnancy, under investigation in Brazil.
In Italy, to date, 4 cases have been diagnosed, all imported, i.e. people who returned from Brazil and Cuba.
Oropouche virus disease, explains the Supreme Institute of Health, is an arbovirus caused by Oropouche virus (Orov), an RNA virus, which can be transmitted to humans mainly by the bite of Culicoides paraensis, a small blood-eating dipteran 1-3 mm, similar to a gnat, which in endemic areas is found in wooded areas near streams, ponds and swamps or on certain mosquitoes such as e.g. Culex quinquefasciatus. None of these carriers are currently located in Italy or Europe. The possibility of human-to-human transmission of the virus has not yet been confirmed.
Thousands of cases
As of 2024 (as of July 23), over 7,700 cases have been recorded worldwide in five countries: Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Cuba and Colombia. The first cases recorded in Italy are without serious consequences.
The risk of infection, experts say, exists if you travel to countries where the virus exists. For those in these areas, it is recommended to take all necessary precautions to avoid contact with insect vectors:
-use chemical repellents,
-wear clothes that cover arms and legs,
-stay in houses equipped with mosquito nets and
-try to reduce outdoor activities at dawn and dusk.
The main symptoms of infection are fever, headache, joint pain and, in some cases, photophobia, diplopia (double vision), nausea and vomiting.
If you are returning from a trip to countries where the virus is present and you have these symptoms, the advice is to contact your doctor.
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