Three new cases of Oropouche virus infection have been registered in the Canary Islands.

The Ministry of Health has identified three new cases Oropos in the Canary IslandsThe patients, two in Tenerife and one in Gran Canaria, are developing favourably and do not require hospitalisation.

In particular, the new positive results are a man and a woman living in Tenerife36 and 32 years old respectively, and a 52-year-old man Gran Canaria who began showing symptoms after returning from separate trips to Cuba. With these new cases, there are now four positive cases of oropouche in the Canary Islands this summer.

“It is important to clarify that this is an imported disease. Oropouche is not infected here because the insect that transmits it does not live in the Canary Islands or in Europe. This gives us peace of mind,” explains the Director General of Public Health of the Canary Islands Government, José Díaz-Flores.

Another positive case of oropouche could be registered in the Canary Islands in the coming days, as there three suspicious cases whose samples were sent to the laboratory of the National Center of Microbiology.

It is expected that within a few weeks the disease will be detectable in Gran Canaria Hospital Dr. Negrin and in La Candelariain Tenerife, the director general said. “This will allow us to speed up the detection of cases,” said Diaz-Flores, recalling that the Canary Islands have the means to detect tropical diseases such as dengue, Zika or chikungunya.

In any case, despite the fact that its transmission is occurring in some Latin American countries, the Canary Islands Department of Health is prepared to identify possible cases that could reach the islands. “We assume that Many people travel from the Canary Islands to these countries. and that we may have cases not only from Cuba, but also from Brazil, Colombia, Bolivia or Peru, where the outbreak has spread in a significant way,” comments the Director General, who recalls that this year in these southern American and Caribbean countries, more than 8000 positives in oropouscha, a disease that may be underdiagnosed in the area.

“The purpose of disseminating this information is to warn the Canarian population who travel to these countries of the need to take into account the presence of this disease, which is added to other pre-existing diseases such as dengue fever, malaria, Zika or chikungunya,” emphasizes Díaz-Flores, who specifies that public health is working on two fronts; disseminating information on the measures that travelers should take and preparing health personnel to detect the virus.

For travelers, Diaz-Flores recommends using mosquito repellents and physical barriers to protect infants from bites, wearing light clothing that covers most of the body, and visiting Foreign Health to learn about health risks before traveling.

An unprecedented outbreak

An outbreak of oropoucha has left health authorities in Latin America alarmed. Brazil, Cuba and Colombia The alarm comes after the disease was confirmed to have caused two deaths in the South American giant for the first time, while other countries in the region, where there are still no reported cases, are taking steps to prevent its spread.

In July 2024, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) issued an epidemiological alert due to an increase in the number of positive cases of oropouche virus (OROV) in five countries of the Americas: Bolivia, Peru, Cuba, Colombia and Brazil.

According to Efe news agency, Brazil This year there has been an unprecedented outbreak, particularly in the Amazon region and in Bahia, where 7,767 cases have been reported, including two women aged 21 and 24 who died without underlying medical conditions.

IN CubaSince May, cases have increased sharply in Santiago de Cuba province (east) and now stand at 400 in 15 provinces. Colombia has 87 positive cases of oropouche.

First case

The Canary Islands reported its first case earlier this month, a 49-year-old man from Gran Canaria who developed symptoms after returning from a trip to Cuba. The epidemiological episode is considered closed. and his development was favorable; He also did not require hospitalization.

The Coordination Centre for Health Alerts and Emergencies (CCAES) has reported several cases in previous weeks in other autonomous communities such as Galicia, Andalusia, the Basque Country and Madrid.

Aspects to consider

The General Directorate of Public Health of the State Security Committee recalls the recommendations issued by the Ministry of Health for those people who intend to travel to places where outbreaks of the oropouche virus among people have been declared (Brazil, Peru, Argentina, Bolivia, Cuba, Panama or Trinidad and Tobago) for prevent mosquito bitesespecially in the case of pregnant women or women planning to conceive, as well as travellers with compromised immune systems or chronic diseases, as they constitute high-risk population groups.

Oropouche virus

Oropouche virus, first identified in 1955 in Vega de Oropouche (Trinidad), is a disease transmitted by the bite of mosquitoes (Culicoides paraensis and Culex quinquefasciatus), which are no longer found in Europe because Its natural habitat is Latin America..

The main symptoms of this infection occur when vomiting, nausea, fever, headache and diarrheaamong other things, and its duration is usually between five and seven days. In very rare cases, the disease manifests itself with severe symptoms with aseptic meningitis.

There were notifications until July 30, 2024 8,078 cases in countries such as Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Cuba and Colombia.On August 1, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) issued an epidemiological alert calling on countries to strengthen surveillance and improve laboratory diagnostics to detect and control the virus.