Oropouche Outbreaks Often Detected Outside Large Cities

Since late 2023 and throughout 2024, an Oropouche virus (OROV) outbreak in the Americas has left many public health officials unprepared to respond due to the unprecedented number of confirmed cases.

In the WHO region of the Americas, OROV outbreaks and thousands of cases have been confirmed across Bolivia, Brazil, Peru, Colombia, and Cuba, and imported cases have been detected in travelers in the USA and Europe.

Oropouche is spread primarily by the bite of infected midges and mosquitoes.

According to a study published by The Lancet Infectious Disease on November 15, 2024, city size is a significant factor in OROV outbreaks.

Epidemic data show that outside the Amazon region, the frequency of OROV cases was 3.9 times higher in small municipalities than in large cities.

These researchers wrote, 'Our results confirm that the novel OROV reassortant lineage spread from the Amazon to other regions in early 2024, successfully establishing local transmission.'

'One factor influencing this trend is the planted areas of some agricultural products, such as banana plantations, were positively correlated (r=0·39, p<0·0001) with OROV cases.'

An example of this study's findings may be Cuba, where OROV cases were reported throughout the Caribbean Island in 2024.

From a prevention perspective, no Oropouche vaccines are available as of November 19, 2024.

The U.S. CDC has also issued Travel Health Advisories regarding visiting outbreak areas and international travelers returning to Florida. 

Oropouche virus has been found in semen, but it is unknown if it can be spread through sex, says the CDC.