3 days Ago
A new virus, oropouche, is extending in Brazil and has become of concern to the country’s Public Health Ministry, since it was circumscribed to the Amazon Region but has now been reported in at least 22 states and 11.000 cases during the first half of December. Among the states involved are Espiritu Santo, neighboring with Rio do Janeiro, Rio Grande do Norte, Goias, the Federal District (Brasilia), and even to the southern areas of Parana and Rio Grande do Su, next to Argentina and Uruguay.
According to Brazilian health authorities, the country has been facing a significant increase of diseases caused by the arbovirus orthobunyavirus oropoucheense (OROV), and which is transmitted to humans mainly through the Culicoides paraensis mosqutoe, better known in Brazil as the maruim or mosquito-pólvora, The virus was first detected in Brazil in the sixties of the last century, following blood tests in labor working on the highway Belem/Brasilia. According to the clinical profile, symptoms include a peak of fever, intense and prolonged headaches, myalgia, arthralgia, retro-orbital pain, photophobia, nausea and vomiting, lasting three to seven days and can be mistaken for other mosquito transmitted virus diseases such as zika, dengue, and chikungunya. Death cases have been reported in several states and others are under monitoring.
According to the Health ministry authorities there are no specific medicines to combat the disease, be it other than pain killers, to contain nausea and vomits plus intense hydration and rest. Several cases of ‘vertical’ transmission have been identified (pregnant woman to fetus), in northeast Brazil, Pernambuco, Ceara and Acre, plus a limited number of cases with congenital anomalies. Finally the Health ministry reported there are no specific vaccines to combat oropouche, but the federal government is supplying the requesting states immunity vaccines for mosquito transmitted diseases.
“We have ample stocks, and since November at least eleven states and the Federal District (Brasilia) have requested such immunity elements”..
