Oropouche Virus Kills 2 In Brazil: All About The Rare Disease
NDTV
Currently, there is no vaccine available for the virus, which belongs to the same family of diseases as Zika virus and Dengue fever.
An insect-borne virus has emerged in South America and two deaths were reported in two young Brazilian women due to the same. The women had no underlying health conditions. In June and July, Europe saw 19 imported cases of the Oropouche virus, as reported by the European Center for Disease Control. Spain accounted for 12 cases, Italy for five, and Germany for two.
The virus is primarily spread through insect bites, including mosquitoes, and midges and originates from pale-throated sloths, non-human primates, and birds, as per Newsweek. The symptoms include headaches, fever, muscle aches, stiff joints, nausea, vomiting, chills, and light sensitivity, which are similar to dengue fever. In extreme situations, the virus can enter the brain system and cause encephalitis, meningitis, and other potentially lethal neuroinvasive diseases. The Centers for Disease Control estimates that just 4 per cent of patients experience this.
The scientific journal Lancet Infectious Disease stated that the Oropouche outbreak this year has reached an "unprecedented scale."
