Disease Outbreak News Oropouche virus disease - Region of the Americas

No images? Click here Friday 23 August 2024 Disease Outbreak News Oropouche virus disease - Region of the Americas Oropouche virus disease - Region of the Americas (who.int) Situation at a glance Oropouche virus disease is a febrile disease caused by the Oropouche virus (OROV), spread primarily through the bite of an insect known as a midge (Culicoides paraensis). In 2024, the number of reported Oropouche virus disease has increased in the WHO Region of the Americas, including in areas with no previously recognized history of Oropouche virus disease. Additionally, some countries have identified fatal infections and potential vertical transmission. As of 20 July 2024, a total of 8078 confirmed Oropouche cases, including two deaths, have been reported in the Region of the Americas, across five countries: Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, and Peru. Brazil has also reported one fetal death and one miscarriage in the state of Pernambuco, as well as four cases of newborns with microcephaly possibly related to OROV infection. Since Oropouche virus disease is an emerging and poorly identified arbovirus in the Americas, the detection of a positive sample and confirmation of a case requires the use of Annex 2 of the International Health Regulations (IHR) and its consequent notification through the established channels of the IHR. OROV has been historically transmitted in the Amazon region. However, possible reasons for the spread beyond its historical range include climate change, deforestation and unplanned urbanization which have facilitated its spread to non-Amazonian states in Brazil and to countries where, until now, there have been no reported cases, including Bolivia and Cuba. Based on available information, WHO assesses the overall public health risk posed by this virus to be high at the regional level and low at the global level. Read more here: Oropouche virus disease - Region of the Americas (who.int)   Media contact: mediainquiries@who.int   You are receiving this NO-REPLY email because you are included on a WHO mail list. If you have been forwarded this update you can click here to subscribe. Journalists may send feedback to WHO Media Team         Share    Tweet    Share    Forward  World Health Organization, Avenue Appia 20, 1202 Geneva 27, Switzerland  Unsubscribe