United States: A dangerous virus found in sloths and spread by midges has been identified in Europe for the first time, authorities have said.
European countries reported nineteen imported cases of the virus in June and July, according to the European Center for Disease Control. According to the Manchester Evening News, twelve cases were reported in Spain, five in Italy, and two in Germany.
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The epidemiology of the virus notes that it spreads via an insect vector, most of which are mosquitoes, and the virus is obtained from pale-throated sloths, nonhuman primates, and birds.
At present, no vaccine for the virus is available, which belongs to the same family of diseases as Zika virus and Dengue Fever.
According to Dr Danny Altmann, a professor of Immunology at Imperial College London, “We should definitely be worried. Things are changing and may become unstoppable,” as ndtv.com reported.
Spread of the cases
It has been observed in many countries throughout South and Central America and the Caribbean. As for particular cases, they were identified in 2024 in Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, and Peru, as well as in Cuba more recently.
Out of the reported cases in Europe, eighteen were where the infection was recently acquired, and travel to Cuba was observed, while one of the cases in Italy got the virus from Brazil.
Oropouche produces flu-like manifestations, including headache, nausea, vomiting, and muscle and joint pains; severe manifestations are less frequent.
These symptoms are usually mild and they usually begin to fade away after four days. The ECDC also goes on to say how deaths can be very rare, and in many cases, patients do fully recover.
Death cases reported
But then, two deaths from Oropouche fever, according to The Lancet on July 25, have been reported for the first time in Brazil of two young women with no known disease in the family background.
From the beginning of the year up to mid-July, the disease was reported in Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Colombia, and Cuba, where more than 8,000 cases were recorded, as ndtv.com reported.
Given these conditions, The ECDC regards the risk of infection of EU citizens traveling to or living in epidemic areas as moderate because the Americas have recorded many cases.