Two people have died for the first time in Brazil from the mosquito-borne Oropouche virus. “So far, there have been no reports of deaths from the disease in the scientific literature worldwide,” the Health Ministry said on Thursday (local time).
The women were from the state of Bahia in northeastern Brazil. Both were under 30 years old and had no comorbidities.
Symptoms similar to dengue fever
However, the women showed signs and symptoms similar to severe dengue fever. Another death in the southern state of Santa Catarina is still under investigation.
Oropouche fever is a disease caused by a virus that is mainly transmitted by the Culicoides paraenses mosquito, but also by other species. Animals such as monkeys or sloths, but also humans can be the main hosts for transmission. The symptoms are similar to those of dengue and chikungunya fever: headache, muscle pain, joint pain, nausea and diarrhea. In rare cases, the course can be serious. There is no specific treatment.
Effects on pregnant women and children
In Brazil, six cases with possible consequences for unborn children are currently being investigated. Health authorities are conducting analyses to determine whether there is a link between Oropouche fever and cases of malformations or miscarriages.
According to the Pan American Health Organization, the Oropouche virus was first discovered in Trinidad and Tobago in the Caribbean in 1955. According to the Ministry of Health, the disease was first identified in Brazil in 1960 from a blood sample taken from a sloth. Since then, isolated cases and localized outbreaks have been reported, mainly in the Amazonian states.
In 2024, 7,236 cases of Oropouche fever were recorded in 20 Brazilian states. Cases and outbreaks have also been reported in other countries in Central and South America, such as Panama, Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela, the report said.
Source: Krone
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