United States: The health ministry of Brazil reported the world’s first Oropouche virus deaths, along with the two women in severe condition from the virus, spread via infected flies and mosquitoes.
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According to the ministry’s statement, the women contracting the disease and under severe conditions were from the state of Bahia in northeast Brazil and were “under 30 years old, with no comorbidities, but who had signs and symptoms similar to a severe case of dengue,” as The Telegraph reported.
Symptoms of the disease
According to health experts, the symptoms are almost similar to dengue, which persists for three to six days and involves fever, jointaches, aching muscles, headache, vomiting, and sensitivity to light.
If the infection has turned deteriorating in the patients, it becomes life-threatening. Among other complications, an individual could also develop condition such as meningitis.
Moreover, as the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website suggests, Oropouche outbreaks are currently taking place in several regions of Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, and Peru.
Number of total cases
The Brazil health ministry has reported 7,236 cases related to Oropouche infection in 2024, most of which were reported in the states of Amazonas and Rondonia, as the Telegraph reported.
The CDC also suggests that the symptoms of Oropouche viral infection generally start four to eight days after the infected vector bites.
According to the health ministry, Oropouche was first detected in Brazil in 1960. Most cases have also been reported in the Amazon region, although outbreaks and isolated cases have been reported elsewhere in Latin America.