The Oropouche virus, transmitted by infected mosquitoes, has claimed the lives of two women, the health ministry has announced.
Brazil has reported the world’s first deaths attributed to the Oropouche virus. Two women succumbed to the illness, which is spread by infected flies and mosquitoes, according to the country’s health ministry.
Oropouche fever, named after the region in Trinidad and Tobago where it was first identified, is a tropical viral infection. It is transmitted from sloths to humans through infected midges and mosquitoes. Since its discovery in 1954, cases have been documented in Central and South America, particularly in regions surrounding the Amazon basin.
The two victims, both under 30 years old and residing in the northeastern state of Bahia, presented symptoms similar to a severe case of dengue, despite having no pre-existing conditions, according to the health ministry’s statement released on Thursday.
The ministry further disclosed that it registered 7,236 cases of Oropouche infection in 2024, noting that the disease was first isolated in Brazil in 1960. The majority of cases have been reported in the states of Amazonas and Rondonia.
Brazilian health authorities are currently investigating another suspected death from Oropouche fever in the southern state of Santa Catarina, along with six potential cases of mother-to-child transmission, leading to two fetal deaths.
Symptoms of Oropouche disease resemble those of dengue, including fever, muscle aches, stiff joints, headache, vomiting, nausea, chills, and sensitivity to light. These symptoms typically persist for three to six days, the ministry stated.
Earlier this year, the Ministry of Public Health in Cuba reported Oropouche virus disease outbreaks in two provinces, Santiago de Cuba and Cienfuegos. In October 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported the first detection of Oropouche virus in French Guiana.
At that time, the WHO stated that there was no evidence of human-to-human transmission of the Oropouche virus.