Amazonas issues epidemic alert for Oropouche, a disease similar to dengue – PORTAL LJ

The Amazonas Health Surveillance Foundation (FVS) has issued an epidemiological alert about the detection of cases of Orobovirus disease (OROV), a virus similar to the one transmitted by the dengue virus.

Between December 2023 and January 4, 2024, the Central Public Health Laboratory of Amazonas (Lacen-AM) analyzed 675 samples collected, and confirmed the detection of 199 Oropouche cases (29.5%) through PCR testing. Of this total, more than 90% came from Manaus. Last Thursday (22), Amazonas state issued an epidemiological bulletin reporting a total of 1,398 confirmed cases since the first day of the year.

In addition to Amazonas, the states of Acre and Rondonia are in outbreak mode, according to the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz). According to the agency, the first records of the current Oropouche outbreak in Brazil were recorded in 2022 by the Roraima Central Laboratory. Then came the records in Amazonas, Rondonia and Acre.

At the beginning of February, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) issued an epidemiological alert regarding the increase in orobo disease in the Americas region, and stressed that the majority of outbreaks affected people of both sexes, and of all ages. However, children and youth were the most affected.

What is Oropouche fever?

Oropouche fever is caused by a virus of the same name, transmitted through the bites of infected mosquitoes, and the disease is currently diagnosed by testing reported patients who test negative for dengue fever.

Its symptoms are similar to those of dengue fever and can confuse those infected. Thus, they include headache, fever, muscle pain, nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light, chills, and joint stiffness, and appear 4 to 8 days after the bite and can last 3 to 6 days.

As with dengue prevention efforts, the best way to avoid oroboche fever is to combat local water accumulation points suitable for breeding mosquitoes that transmit the disease.