Oropouche virus outbreak puts Latin America under alert

The Pan American Health Organization has issued an epidemiological alert as Latin America sees a rise in cases of the Oropouche virus.

The Pan American Health Organization has issued an epidemiological alert as Latin America experiences a rise in cases of the Oropouche virus, a little-known disease spread by midges and mosquitoes.

The alert came Friday after the PAHO, which is the main international health agency for the Americas, reported the first deaths associated with the virus — including fetal deaths associated with "possible instances of vertical transmission," in which a virus is transmitted mother-to-child during pregnancy.

At least 8,078 confirmed Oropouche cases, including two fatal cases, have been reported in the Americas. The cases are concentrated in Bolivia, Colombia, Cuba, Peru and Brazil — the country with the most confirmed cases and where the two deaths were reported.

Two young women in Brazil, ages 21 and 24, are believed to have died because of the virus. According to PAHO, they both died a few days after having first experienced sudden symptoms such as fever, muscle aches, pain behind the eye sockets, headaches and vomiting, among other symptoms. A third case is being investigated in Brazil as a possible third death from Oropouche.

At least 7,284 cases have been confirmed in Brazil, according to PAHO. That’s 90% of all confirmed Oropouche cases in the Americas and a significant jump from the 832 cases Brazil reported last year.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/oropouche-virus-latin-america-mosquitoes-rcna165221

---