The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has issued an epidemiological alert regarding the risk of spreading Oropouche fever across the continent. This tropical viral infection is transmitted to humans by mosquitoes through the blood of sloths.
The World Health Organization’s (WHO) American branch has expressed concern over recent mutations in the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of the disease. PAHO experts have highlighted a recent case reported by the Brazilian Ministry of Health involving a fetus that died at 30 weeks of pregnancy due to “vertical” transmission from the mother.
Previously, Brazilian health authorities confirmed the first recorded deaths from Oropouche fever in the state of Sao Paulo, where two individuals succumbed to the disease.
Between January 1 and July 30, 2024, PAHO reported a total of 8,078 confirmed cases across five countries in the Americas. The cases are distributed as follows: Bolivia (356 cases), Brazil (7,284 cases), Colombia (74 cases), Cuba (74 cases), and Peru (290 cases).
