‘Zika-like’ mosquito-borne virus has spread into Europe, health officials warn
Cases of the Oropouche virus (OROV) emerging in Europe have health officials on high alert.
As of the end of July, 19 cases had been reported with 12 in Spain, five in Italy and two in Germany, per the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.
The disease is typically spread through bites from mosquitoes and midges (small flies, particularly the Culicoides paraensis species), according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
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Since first emerging in Trinidad and Tobago in 1955, the Oropouche virus has had “limited circulation” in regions of South America, particularly in forested areas.
Three-toed sloths and birds have been identified as “natural reservoirs” for Oropouche, which means they act as hosts of the disease.
“The virus doesn’t spread from person to person,” Dr. Marc Siegel, senior medical analyst for Fox News and clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center, confirmed to Fox News Digital.
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On Aug. 1, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) issued an epidemiological alert urging countries to “strengthen surveillance and implement laboratory diagnosis for the identification and characterization of cases … potentially associated with OROV infection.”
By the end of July, there were 8,078 confirmed cases of Oropouche virus in five countries, including Bolivia (356), Brazil (7,284, with two deaths), Colombia (74), Cuba (74) and Peru (290), as reported by the PAHO.
“Experts fear that if the current outbreak of Oropouche fever expands further, it could overwhelm South America’s already stretched health care system,” according to an article published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases on Aug. 8.
The PAHO’s alert also warned of cases of the virus in Brazil that were transmitted from pregnant women to their fetuses in Brazil.
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“These cases are under investigation,” the CDC stated on its website, noting that the agency is working with PAHO and “other international partners” to assess potential risks the virus presents during pregnancy.
Siegel said, “There is some risk to the fetus in terms of birth defects.”
Symptoms of Oropouche
OROV, which is classified as an arbovirus, is often mistaken for other similar viruses, like Zika, dengue, chikungunya and malaria, according to the CDC.
Symptoms of the virus include fever, headache, muscle aches, stiff joints and chills.
Some may develop a rash that begins on the torso and spreads to other body parts.
Symptoms usually begin within four to eight days of being bitten, and last for three to six days.
“Symptoms can abate and reoccur,” Siegel noted.
In severe cases, patients may develop meningitis, encephalitis or other “neuroinvasive” diseases, the CDC stated.
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For those patients, symptoms can include intense headaches, dizziness, confusion, nausea, vomiting, light sensitivity, lethargy, stiff neck and involuntary eye movements.
“Around 4% of patients develop [neurologic symptoms] after the first febrile illness,” Siegel said.
Treatment and prevention
Most people who contract Oropouche will recover on their own without any long-term effects, the CDC stated.
“There are no vaccines for prevention and no treatments,” Siegel said.
The best means of prevention is to avoid bites from midges and mosquitoes, according to experts.
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“People are advised to take preventive measures, including the use of repellents, clothing that covers legs and arms, and fine mesh mosquito nets, and to take extra precautions during outbreaks, particularly for vulnerable groups such as pregnant women,” the PAHO advised in its alert.
Supportive care can include rest, fluids and medications to reduce fever and alleviate pain.
“Patients who develop more severe symptoms should be hospitalized for observation and supportive treatment,” the agency stated.
There have been “very few” deaths reported from Oropouche, the CDC noted.
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Those who are experiencing symptoms and have risk factors can contact their local health department for testing.
“Clinicians in these areas where importation has occurred may not be familiar with this infection and need to be alert to its possibility,” Dr. Amesh Adalja, M.D., an infectious disease expert at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security in Baltimore, told Fox News Digital.
Fox News Digital reached out to the CDC for comment.
Melissa Rudy is senior health editor and a member of the lifestyle team at Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to melissa.rudy@fox.com.