Oropouche virus illness – Region of the Americas

Since the final Disease Outbreak News on this occasion was printed on 23 August 2024, three extra nations and one territory (Ecuador, Guyana, and Panama) have reported confirmed Oropouche virus illness within the Region of the Americas. In addition, imported Oropouche circumstances have been reported from the Cayman Islands, Canada, the United States of America and some nations within the European Region.

Between 1 January and 25 November 2024, 11 634 confirmed Oropouche circumstances, together with two deaths, have been reported within the Region of the Americas: Bolivia (Plurinational State of) (356 circumstances), Brazil (9563 circumstances, together with two deaths), Canada (two imported circumstances), Cayman Island (one imported case),  Colombia (74 circumstances), Cuba (603 circumstances), Ecuador (two circumstances), Guyana (two circumstances), Panama (one case), Peru (936 circumstances), and the United States of America (94 imported circumstances). Additionally, imported Oropouche circumstances have been reported in nations within the European Region (30 circumstances) (1).

Cases and penalties of vertical transmission of Oropouche virus an infection have been reported in Brazil and Cuba. Brazil has confirmed three circumstances of vertical transmission (two circumstances of fetal demise and one case of congenital anomaly) and reported that beneath investigation are 15 fetal deaths, 5 spontaneous miscarriages, and three circumstances of congenital anomalies.^[1] Additionally, in September, Cuba confirmed a case of congenital anomaly with two additional circumstances beneath investigation.

Figure 1. Number of confirmed Oropouche circumstances in 2024 by nation and epidemiological week of symptom onset Region of the Americas*

*Source: Adapted and reproduced by PAHO/WHO from the info reported by the respective nations.

The following is a abstract of the state of affairs within the nations which have reported confirmed Oropouche circumstances within the Americas as of 25 November 2024.

The Plurinational State of Bolivia: Between 1 January and 5 October 2024, there have been 356 Oropouche circumstances confirmed by reverse transcription polymerase chain response (RT-PCR) testing. Transmission has been reported in three departments: La Paz with 75.3% of circumstances (268 circumstances), adopted by Beni with 21.3% of circumstances (76 circumstances), and Pando with 3.4% of circumstances (12 circumstances). Cases have been reported in 16 municipalities which can be thought of endemic for this illness, with the best proportion of circumstances reported within the municipalities of Irupana, La Paz, with 33% of circumstances; adopted by La Asunta, La Paz, with 13% of circumstances; Chulumani, La Paz, and Guayaramerín, Beni, with 12% every.  

Half of the circumstances are feminine (179 circumstances) and the age group with the best variety of circumstances is the 30-39 years age group accounting for 20% of circumstances (70 circumstances). No deaths have been recorded that could possibly be related to OROV an infection. In addition, between 23 March and 13 April 2024, ten circumstances of coinfection of Oropouche and dengue have been reported in sufferers in three municipalities of the division of La Paz, all of whom examined optimistic for dengue by RT-PCR with DENV-1 (two circumstances) and DENV-2 (eight circumstances) serotyping (2).

Brazil: Between 1 January and 25 November 2024, 9563 Oropouche circumstances have been confirmed by RT-PCR. Most circumstances have been reported in municipalities within the northern states; nevertheless, thus far, circumstances have been reported in 22 of the nation’s 27 states. The Amazon area, an space thought of endemic for Oropouche, accounts for 70% of the circumstances reported within the nation, with seven states reporting circumstances: Amazonas (3231 circumstances), Rondônia (1711 circumstances), Acre (273 circumstances), Roraima (277 circumstances), Pará (157 circumstances), Amapá (128 circumstances), and Tocantins (eight circumstances) (3). Additionally, autochthonous transmission has been documented in 15 non-Amazonian states, a few of which had not beforehand reported circumstances: Bahia (889 circumstances), Espírito Santo (1763 circumstances), Ceará (249 circumstances), Minas Gerais (194 circumstances), Santa Catarina (178 circumstances), Pernambuco (144 circumstances), Rio de Janeiro (116 circumstances), Alagoas (116 circumstances), Sergipe (34 circumstances), Maranhão (33 circumstances), Piauí (30 circumstances), Mato Grosso (18 circumstances), São Paulo (eight circumstances), Paraíba (5 circumstances) and Mato Grosso do Sul (one case)(3, 4).

Over half of the circumstances (52%; 4995) are male and the age group with the best variety of circumstances is 20-29 years, with 21% of circumstances (1963 circumstances) (3).

Brazil’s IHR National Focal Point (NFP) reported two deadly circumstances of OROV an infection detected retrospectively within the state of Bahia¹ and 6 circumstances are beneath investigation: one within the state of Parana, with possible supply of an infection within the state of Santa Catarina, two in Espírito Santo, one in Acre, one in Alagoas, and one in Mato Grosso (4).^[2] Additionally, on 12 August 2024, Brazil reported a case of encephalitis related to OROV. The case is a male resident of the state of Piauí (3).^[3] As of 16 November 2024, three circumstances of vertical transmission have been confirmed:^[4] two circumstances of fetal demise: one in Pernambuco and one in Ceará; and one case of congenital anomaly in Acre. As for circumstances beneath investigation within the nation, 15 circumstances of fetal demise in Pernambuco (15 circumstances), three circumstances of congenital anomaly in Acre (two circumstances) and Bahia (one case), and 5 spontaneous miscarriages in Pernambuco have been recognized (3-5).

Colombia: Between 1 January and 5 October 2024, 74 confirmed Oropouche circumstances have been reported in three departments of the nation: Amazonas (70 circumstances), Caqueta (one case), and Meta (one case); moreover, two circumstances have been recognized in travellers from Tabatinga, Brazil. The circumstances have been recognized by means of a retrospective laboratory case-finding technique applied in 2024 by the National Institute of Health of Colombia based mostly on dengue surveillance (38 circumstances) and thru investigation of febrile syndrome circumstances (36 circumstances). Over half of the circumstances (51.4%; 38) have been feminine and the age group with the best variety of circumstances was 10-19 years, with 36.5% of the circumstances (27 circumstances). No deaths have been recorded that could possibly be related to OROV an infection.

Six circumstances of coinfection with dengue have been reported within the division of Amazonas, 4 within the municipality of Leticia (two with DENV-1 and two with DENV-2), and one within the municipality of Puerto Nariño (DENV-3), and within the division of Meta, one within the municipality of Guamal (DENV-4). Regarding the surveillance of circumstances of vertical transmission and its penalties, as much as 3 October 2024, two circumstances of Oropouche have been recognized in pregnant girls, each from Leticia, aged 18 years (onset of signs at 29 weeks of gestation) and 22 years (onset of signs at 34 weeks of gestation), respectively. Both developed favorably and their kids have been born with out problems. To date, not one of the infants present proof of congenital anomalies, neurological syndromes or neurodevelopmental problems.^[5]

Cuba: Between 27 May and 25 November 2024, a complete of 603 confirmed circumstances have been reported.  Cases proceed to be recognized by means of surveillance for non-specific febrile syndrome, with circumstances recorded in 109 municipalities within the 15 provinces of the nation. The provinces of Havana (174 circumstances), Santiago de Cuba (75 circumstances), Pinar del Rio (47 circumstances), and Cienfuegos (39 circumstances) accounted for 55% of confirmed circumstances.^[6]

More than half of the circumstances have been feminine (55%, 331) and the best proportion of circumstances was recorded within the 19-54 age group (53%, 320).  On 19 September 2024, Cuba reported three circumstances of Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) related to OROV. The three circumstances, two females and one male aged 51, 53, and 64 years respectively, offered with onset of signs in June. The circumstances are residents of the province of Santiago de Cuba, within the municipalities of San Luis (one case) and Santiago de Cuba (two circumstances). Serum, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and urine samples have been collected and examined optimistic with RT-PCR for OROV.

Seven circumstances of Oropouche have been recognized in pregnant girls, two of whom delivered stay infants with none congenital anomalies being detected. On the opposite hand, three circumstances of congenital anomalies of the central nervous system with suspected infectious aetiology have been recognized by means of the nationwide antenatal referral service, of which one has undergone virological testing with a optimistic outcome for OROV in fetal coronary heart blood; the opposite two circumstances are beneath investigation.  

Ecuador: As of 5 October 2024, two laboratory-confirmed circumstances of Oropouche virus illness have been reported, which have been detected throughout a retrospective evaluation of dengue-negative samples by the National Institute of Public Health Research (INSPI per its acronym in Spanish). The first case occurred in a 62-year-old from Bolivar province who developed signs on 11 June. The second case occurred in a 36-year-old from Los Rios province who developed signs on 17 July. Both sufferers haven’t any historical past of current journey. None of the circumstances required hospitalization and have totally recovered.