What is the Oropouche virus? US health officials warn of cases linked to travel to South America

(HealthDay News) — An insect-borne virus that can cause birth defects and deaths has prompted U.S. warnings for travelers headed to South American and Caribbean locations.

The Oropouche virus has caused two deaths and five cases of stillbirth or birth defects among more than 8,000 cases this year in an outbreak stretching from the Amazon basin to Cuba, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said in a recent health advisory.

The CDC is warning pregnant women to reconsider travel to any country where Oropouche is circulating. “If travel is unavoidable, pregnant travelers should strictly follow Oopouche virus prevention recommendations to prevent insect bites during travel,” the CDC said.

The United States has had 11 travel-related cases of Oropouche this year, according to the CDC. However, there is no evidence that the virus has begun circulating in North America.

Oropouche is transmitted through the bite of certain mosquitoes, according to the CDC. About 60% of people infected with Oropouche develop symptoms, according to the CDC. Common symptoms include fever, severe headache, muscle aches, chills and joint pain.

The illness usually goes away after a few days, but about 7 in 10 people experience recurring symptoms days or weeks after their initial infection, the CDC says — essentially, one long Oropouche.

Less than 5% of patients infected with Oropouche will develop more serious conditions such as meningitis or bleeding.

Brazil has also reported five cases in which infected pregnant women lost their babies or had children born with birth defects. The defects included microcephaly, in which a baby is born with a small, underdeveloped head.

There are no vaccines or medications to prevent or treat Oropouche, according to the CDC. Avoiding insect bites is the best way to protect against infection.

Countries reporting cases of Oropouche include Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Colombia and Cuba, according to the CDC. Cases of Oropouche have occurred in travelers returning from Cuba and Brazil in the United States and Europe.

Oropouche was first detected in 1955 in Trinidad and Tobago, and is endemic in the Amazon basin, according to the CDC. Previous outbreaks have been reported in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Panama and Peru.

CDC recommends that travelers to countries affected by Oropouche avoid mosquito bites both during travel and for up to three weeks after returning home to prevent the virus from spreading to the United States.

“All travelers can protect themselves from oropouche, dengue, Zika and other insect-borne viruses by preventing insect bites, including using an Environmental Protection Agency-registered insect repellent.” [EPA]; wear long-sleeved shirts and pants; and stay in places with air conditioning or that use screens on windows and doors,” the CDC said in its advisory.

* More information: The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) offers more information on the Oropouche virus.

* SOURCE: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), press release, August 16, 2024