Contents
European officials urge travellers to be cautious amid spread of sloth fever that causes brain inflammation
European health officials are warning travelers to South America to take adequate precautions, as a growing number of cases of dengue fever have been found in returning tourists. According to news reports, Spain, Italy and Germany have reported infections in patients who traveled to Cuba and Brazil, where the Oropoch virus is spreading. There is no vaccine to treat this virus, which comes from the same family of diseases that includes the Zika virus and dengue fever. Read on to learn more.
Spain, Italy and Germany have reported infections in patients who traveled to Cuba and Brazil, where the Oropoch virus is circulating
Authorities across Europe have warned travelers heading to South America to take adequate precautions after at least 20 cases of sloth fever were detected there. According to news reports, Spain, Italy and Germany have reported infections in patients who traveled to Cuba and Brazil, where the Oropoch virus is spreading.
Cases reported in Spain, Italy, Germany
The European Centre for Disease Control, or ECDC, says there have been at least 10-15 cases of infection in Spain, five in Italy and two in Germany. This is the first time the virus – called ‘sloth’ fever because it has the ability to transmit between primates, sloths and birds, in the wild and occasionally to humans via mosquitoes – has been found outside of South America.
according to The LancetSince the diagnosis of two European travellers earlier this year, more people travelling to the infection-prone region have tested positive for the virus.
Most cases of the virus, which causes miscarriages and birth defects, have been reported in Brazil, as well as Bolivia, Colombia and Peru. Cuba’s Public Health Ministry first reported Oropouche cases in May. Since then, a total of 74 cases have been confirmed – most of them in the provinces of Santiago de Cuba and Songo la Maya.
There is no vaccine available to treat this virus, as the disease belongs to the same family that includes Zika virus and dengue fever.
Europe warns pregnant women not to travel
European health chiefs have warned of a “moderate” risk for travellers visiting Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Peru and Cuba. Doctors have also cautioned pregnant women against travelling to these countries as existing data suggests the virus can cause miscarriages and birth defects.
“The impact of Oropouche virus infection on pregnant women, foetuses and newborns may be greater than in the general population, although this is still under investigation,” Professor Francois Balloux, director of the Genetics Institute at University College London, told The Sun. “It is quite likely that we will see more cases of Oropouche virus in Europe in the coming months as the current outbreak continues.”
What is the Oropoch virus?
Oroposh fever, resulting from OROV infection, is an emerging zoonotic disease that is transmitted primarily through bites from infected animals. Culicoides parensis – Commonly referred to as biting mosquitoes, and sometimes through mosquitoes.
according to experts, C. parensis It is commonly found in water bodies such as ponds, lakes, rivers, and humid tropical regions, particularly in some areas of various South American countries, and it plays an important role in the transmission dynamics of OROV.
Signs and symptoms
Experts say that although most Oropos infections are mild and have symptoms similar to dengue, some signs and symptoms do occur, including:
- Headache
- Body pain
- nausea
- haste
- sensitivity to light
- gastrointestinal problems, such as indigestion, stomach pain, sickness, and diarrhoea
The virus also attacks the brain, causing meningitis or encephalitis.
First deaths
Last month, Brazil reported the world’s first deaths from the disease, when two women in their 20s died in the Bahia state in the country’s northeast. The women, aged 21 and 24, suffered from severe bleeding and hypotension and died in July.
In June, Brazil’s health minister was told that a pregnant woman had lost her baby at 30 weeks, and that Oropoch virus was detected in the umbilical cord and organs.
Get the latest news on Times Now along with the latest updates and top headlines from health and around the world.