SAO PAULO: The health ministry of Brazil said on Thursday that two women had perished from the Oropouche virus, which is spread by infected flies and mosquitoes. This is the first known Oropouche virus death in history.
The ministry added in a statement that the ladies, who came from the northeastern Brazilian state of Bahia, were “under 30 years old, with no co-morbidities, but who had signs and symptoms similar to a severe case of dengue.”
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website, there are Oropouche outbreaks known to be occurring in some areas of Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, and Peru right now.
According to Brazil’s health ministry, there have been 7,236 cases of Oropouche infection this year, most of which have been reported from the states of Rondonia and Amazonas.
The Oropouche virus infection typically manifests symptoms four to eight days after the bite, according to the CDC.
The health department stated that symptoms usually last three to six days and are similar to those of dengue, including fever, chills, headache, nausea, vomiting, and stiff joints and muscles.
Serious cases may lead to potentially fatal side effects including meningitis.
In 1960, Oropouche was initially segregated in Brazil.
Although outbreaks and lone cases have been reported elsewhere in Latin America, the majority of cases have been documented in Brazil’s Amazon region.
