More than 20 people who have returned to the United States from Cuba have been infected with an insect-borne virus in recent months, federal health officials said Tuesday. All were suffering from the disease caused by the Oropouche virus, also known as “sloth fever.”
No one has died, and there is no evidence the disease is spreading in the United States. But authorities are warning doctors in the country to be on the lookout for infection in travelers from Cuba and South America.
These are the most frequently asked questions about the disease and what caused the alert:
What is the oropouche virus?
Oropouche is a virus native to tropical forested areas. It was first identified in 1955 in a 24-year-old forest worker on the island of Trinidad, and was named after a nearby town and wetland.
It has sometimes been called ‘sloth fever’ because the first scientists to investigate the virus They found it in a three-toed slothand they believed that these mammals were important in the propagation between insects and animals.
How does the Oropouche virus spread?
The virus is transmitted to humans by tiny biting insects called midges and some types of mosquitoes. Humans have become infected by visiting forested areas and this is thought to contribute to the virus reaching towns and cities, but human-to-human transmission has not been documented.
How many cases have there been?
Since late last year, the virus has been identified as the cause of large outbreaks in Amazonian regions where it was known to exist, as well as in new areas of South America and the Caribbean. Some 8,000 locally acquired cases have been reported in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Cuba and Peru.
Some travelers have been diagnosed in the United States and Europe. On Tuesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that so far they had been notified 21 cases in the United States –20 in Florida and one in New York–, all related to people who had been in Cuba. European health authorities previously reported that 19 cases had been detected, almost all among travelers.
What are the symptoms and treatments?
Symptoms may appear similar to those of other tropical diseases such as dengue, Zika or malaria. Fever, headaches and muscle aches are common, and some infected people also experience diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting or skin rashes.
Some patients suffer recurrent symptoms, and one in 20 may suffer more severe symptoms such as bleeding, meningitis and encephalitis. The disease is rarely fatal, although two young people have recently been reported dead in Brazil.
There are no vaccines to prevent infections or medications to treat symptoms.
Are there any other reasons for concern?
Authorities in Brazil are investigating reports that infections could be transmitted from a pregnant woman to a fetus, a potentially terrifying possibility compared to what was seen during Zika outbreaks nearly a decade ago.
The CDC has recommended that pregnant women Avoid non-essential travel to Cuba and have suggested that all travelers take steps to prevent insect bites, such as using insect repellent and wearing long-sleeved shirts and long pants.
