What you should know about Oropouche – NBC New York

A potentially deadly virus commonly known as “sloth fever” is sparking new calls for caution in the United States after Florida reported nine new cases linked to international travel in a week – a troubling sign for New Yorkers and other Americans returning from summer vacations.

Sloth fever, or Oropouche fever, is transmitted by small biting flies and mosquitoes and is caused by the Oropouche virus. According to the latest update from the state Department of Health, one case has been reported in New York so far.

Earlier this month, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) issued a warning about “highly worrying changes in the observed clinical and epidemiological characteristics” of the disease, including the recent increase and spread of cases in newly recorded areas outside the regions where Oropouche was previously considered endemic. Even more worrying are the first reports of deaths related to sloth fever, as well as the identification of possible transmission of the disease contributing to fetal deaths or health problems at birth, officials say.

The risk to the Americas, including North and South America, where the disease has recently spread, is considered high, according to PAHO. Shortly after the PAHO report, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention issued a notice alerting physicians and health officials to the expanded threat. New York State health officials then distributed this notice to physicians across the Empire State to inform them.

According to the CDC, the Oropouche virus is brought into urban environments by infected people, who likely contract the disease while staying in forested areas. The virus is transmitted from animals such as sloths (hence the name) and rodents to mosquitoes and flies, which then transmit it to people. There is no evidence of local transmission in the U.S., according to the CDC. However, in urban areas, midges and possibly certain mosquitoes can transmit the virus from an infected person to an uninfected person, the CDC said. Officials say more cases are expected in the U.S.

Currently, the 2024 outbreak is occurring in endemic areas and new areas outside the Amazon basin, mainly in Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Colombia and Cuba, according to the CDC.

Here are some tips from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for treating mosquito bites

What are the symptoms of sloth fever?

Diagnosis is not easy because the clinical presentation is similar to diseases caused by other mosquito-borne viruses, such as dengue and chikungunya. Dengue is far more common in New York—there have been 165 travel-related cases so far this year, according to the health department. Therefore, it is important to rule out infection with the oropouche virus before investigating the possibility of infection. Laboratory diagnosis of oropouche is not possible in commercial labs. Currently, New York only tests people who have tested negative for dengue and have similar disease characteristics and travel history.

According to the CDC, about 60% of people infected with the Oropouche virus develop symptoms. The incubation period is usually 3 to 10 days.

Oropouche most commonly presents with acute fever, chills, headache, muscle aches, and joint pain. Eye pain, sensitivity to light, nausea, vomiting, and fatigue are also possible. Symptoms resolve after a few days, the CDC says, but for a large proportion (70%) of people, symptoms recur days to weeks after the initial symptoms subside.

Although the disease is usually mild, less than 5% of patients may experience bleeding or neuroinvasive disease such as meningitis, according to the CDC. Symptoms of meningitis may include severe eye pain, dizziness, confusion, and lethargy.

Although people exposed to infected gnats or mosquitoes are most at risk for developing the disease, the risk factors for more severe cases are not well defined, according to the CDC. People at risk for more severe disease likely include people at higher risk for other serious viral infections, such as people age 65 and older and people with underlying medical conditions. There are no specific antiviral treatments or vaccines. Treatment includes rest, hydration, and pain medication.

So far this year, more than 8,000 cases of the Oropouche virus have been confirmed in the five South American countries.

In New York City, authorities have now begun spraying certain parts of the city with mosquito repellent as concerns about the West Nile virus grow. Dr. Anthony Fauci recently had to be hospitalized for a short time because of the virus.

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