Oropouche Virus: A New Threat to Global Public Health
Posted 3 months ago
August 2024
Editorial by: Prof. Dr. Muhammad Mukhtar
In a disturbing trend, there are more and more reports on travellers returning to the U.S. with the Oropouche virus, significantly increasing the number of cases reported, the the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says. Once confined to the Amazon, this virus is now spreading to new regions, posing a grave threat to global public health.
The virus, which is responsible for Oropouche fever, has previously been isolated to the Amazon basin; however, recently, it started to spread around. More than 8,000 cases have been reported this year, and the highest number of cases is in Brazil, followed by Peru, Bolivia, Colombia, and Cuba. What is particularly worrisome is that the virus has finally reported the first two known deaths, and the victims were Brazilian adults. Additionally, there are rapid investigations by Brazilian public health authorities into the relationship of the virus with fetal malformations and deaths because the virus possibly transmits from a pregnant woman to her fetus.
This worrying spread has led the Pan American Health Organization to increase the level of risk for Oropouche disease due to the increase in the areas where it can be found and the emergence of fatal cases. The World Health Organization has also issued epidemiological bulletins recently, stating that there is a high risk of spreading the virus from this region. At the same time, the CDC advises paying attention to incoming travelers from emerging new cases since some have already been reported in the USA and several European states, including Spain, Italy, and Germany.
Oropouche virus is classified as an orthobunyavirus. The most effective vector described so far for transmitting this virus to humans is the midge Culicoides paraensis, as opposed to diseases of the Dengue and Zika viruses with mosquitoes as vectors. The virus first appeared fifty years ago in Trinidad and Tobago and periodically reemerged during epidemics in the Amazon basin. Nevertheless, now that its diffusion is being noticed outside this area, it constitutes a certain level of concern.
Before, virus surveillance was negligible or nonexistent outside the Amazon, thus making it impossible to conclude whether this is the first time the virus has traveled this far geographically. Identifying local cases in Cuba traversing to the U.S. from Europe emphasizes the countries in the vectors' habitat, especially Culex mosquitoes, which can alarm epidemic probability.
The symptoms of Oropouche fever include fever, appetite loss, headache, malaise, myalgia, arthralgia, and gastrointestinal infections such as dengue. The disorder can affect the heart and kidneys; while these manifestations are seen in the majority of patients, some face chronic illnesses. The virus diagnosis is complicated and relies on molecular methods, as it is impossible to state the presence of the virus based on the patient's symptoms alone.
It is more concerning the virus's relationship and how it is linked to malformations at birth. For the first time, antibodies against Oropouche have been seen in newborns with microcephaly, suggesting a link between the virus and this serious medical condition. Although the evidence is not yet precise, the possibility of fetal and infant mortality because of vertical transmission is another reason why this virus is lethal.
Understanding that Oropouche is a concern to the world makes the fact that there are no vaccines or targeted treatment options for the disease all the more grave. Containment of the other emerging virus in the near future will require both alertness and intensive population health strategies for the protection of at-risk groups.
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