What is Oropouche virus disease? What are the symptoms that allow you to recognize it? What are the risks, who runs them and how to protect yourself? The Istituto Superiore di Sanità explains, which has updated its website with a FAQ on the infection.
Oropouche virus disease – describes the ISS – is an arbovirosis caused by the Oropouche virus (Orov), an RNA virus that circulates in Central and South America and the Caribbean. Orov can be transmitted to humans mainly through the bite of Culicoides paraensis, a small blood-sucking dipteran fly measuring 1-3 millimetres, similar to a midge, which in endemic areas is found in wooded areas near streams, ponds and swamps, or some mosquitoes such as Culex quinquefasciatus. “None of these vectors are currently present in Italy or in Europe”, assures the institute which specifies: “The possibility of human-to-human transmission has not been confirmed at this time. of the virus”.
Why are we talking about Oropouche? The Brazilian Ministry of Health – the ISS recalls – reported today 2 deaths caused by the virus, which are currently the first ever recorded in the world, and 6 possible cases of vertical transmission of Orov associated with spontaneous abortion, fetal death and/or microcephaly, reported by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), are currently being investigated. In 2024, as of July 23, over 7,700 cases have been recorded worldwide in 5 countries: Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Cuba and Colombia. “In recent weeks, some cases of the virus have also been recorded in Italy, all imported and without serious consequences”, the institute points out.
Who is at risk of Oropouche virus infection? And what precautions should you take? The risk of infection – continues the ISS – is present if you travel to countries where the virus is present. For those who are in these areas, it is recommended to take all the necessary precautions to avoid contact with insect vectors: use chemical repellents, wear clothes that cover arms and legs, stay in homes with mosquito nets and try to reduce outdoor activities during periods of greatest vector activity (at dawn and dusk).
How to understand if you have been infected? main symptoms of the infection – the institute lists – are fever, headache, joint pain and, in some cases, photophobia, diplopia (double vision), nausea and vomiting. If you are returning from a trip to countries where the virus is present and you have these symptoms, the advice is to contact your doctor, specifying the areas in which you have been.
The ISS – as stated on the institute’s website – offers technical and scientific support to the national health system and the Ministry of Health as a national reference laboratory for diagnostic confirmation and microbiological characterization activities and, thanks to a multi-disciplinary team of experts, monitors the risk to public health of this event in Italy for virological, entomological and epidemiological aspects.
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