OROPUS FEVER | Europe warns Spanish, Italian tourists from Cuba infected with Oropus virus

World Health Organization (WHO) Since the beginning of the year, it has been warning of a resurgence of Oropuche fever in some South American countries. It has not yet reached Europe, but the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has just issued an alert after confirming up to 6 cases of Oropus virus in several Spanish and Italian tourists who visited Cuba and upon returning home they developed typical symptoms of the disease: high fever, chills and other flu-like symptoms. The first case was recorded in June in Italy, and the patient spent up to 4 days in the hospital.

The disease is endemic to South America, although to this day There are no recorded cases of death due to the disease. which is mainly transmitted by mosquitoes and flies that are not native to Europe. For this reason, ECDC experts want to make it clear that the risk of Oropus virus spreading across Europe is “very low,” but they still recommend that travelers returning from endemic regions such as South America pay attention to symptoms if they suspect they have been exposed to the disease.

What kind of virus is this?

His symptoms are very similar to his. dengue: sudden onset of high fever, headache, myalgia, rash, joint pain, vomiting. It lasts three to six days and is usually mild (although it can sometimes cause serious complications). There is often a short-term relapse of symptoms, and in rare cases it causes aseptic meningitis with signs such as headache, fever, stiff neck, malaise, fatigue, or rash.

Doesn’t exist at the moment There is no specific treatment for Oropouche fever.The approach therefore focuses on alleviating the patient’s symptoms (fluid resuscitation, temperature control, analgesics…) and on managing complications that may arise. Efforts are therefore more focused on prevention. In this sense, measures such as the use of insect repellents and mosquito nets, proper water management and fumigation, and the elimination of mosquito breeding sites near populated areas are important.