Oropouche fever: what are the symptoms and how is the treatment?

Rio de Janeiro recorded the first case of infection by oropouche fever , a virus similar to dengue, on Thursday (29), after confirmation from the State Department of Health (SES-RJ). This week, Amazonas also issued an epidemiological alert to detect the disease, reporting a total of 1,398 confirmed cases of the disease since the first day of the year.

In addition to Amazonas, the states of Acre and Rondônia are in a state of outbreak, according to the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz). According to the agency, the first records of the current oropouche outbreak in Brazil were made in 2022 by the Roraima Central Laboratory. Then came records in Amazonas, Rondônia and Acre.

What is Oropouche Fever?

Oropouche fever is a disease caused by an arbovirus, that is, a virus transmitted by a mosquito. According to the Ministry of Health, the Orthobunyavirus oropoucheense (OROV), which causes the infection, was isolated for the first time in 1960, from a blood sample from a sloth captured during the construction of the Belém-Brasília highway.

In addition to Brazil, there have been isolated cases and outbreaks reported in other countries in Central and South America, such as Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador, Panama, Peru and Venezuela. In February this year, PAHO (Pan American Health Organization) issued an epidemiological alert for the increase in oropouche for the American continent. According to the entity, most outbreaks occurred in all age groups and genders, but children and young people were the most affected.

Oropouche fever symptoms

You oropouche fever symptoms They are similar to dengue and chikungunya and, therefore, the diseases can be confused. This is the case of:

• Headache;
• Joint pain;
• Muscle pain;
• Nausea and vomiting;
• Diarrhea.

How is the diagnosis made?

To differentiate oropouche fever from other arboviruses, such as dengue and chikungunya, it is necessary to make a diagnosis, which is clinical, epidemiological and laboratory. In other words, symptoms are assessed, whether there has been contact with infected people or regions that have an outbreak, and laboratory tests are carried out to exclude the possibility of other arboviruses.

Furthermore, the Ministry of Health reinforces that oropouche fever is on the list of notifiable diseases, classified among immediately notifiable diseases. This is because fever has an epidemic potential and a high capacity for the virus to mutate, potentially becoming a threat to public health.

Treatment

There is no specific treatment for oropouche fever. Therefore, care involves rest, hydration and the use of medications to alleviate symptoms . The Ministry of Health also recommends that patients be accompanied by doctors.

Fever prevention

Prevention measures for oropouche fever are similar to those for dengue fever, as both are transmitted by mosquitoes:

• If possible, avoid areas where there are many mosquitoes;
• Wear clothing that covers most of the body;
• Use mosquito repellents on exposed areas of the skin;
• Remove possible mosquito breeding sites, such as stagnant water in tires, gutters and plant pots, in addition to keeping swimming pools and water tanks clean and covered.

The Ministry of Health recommends that, if there are confirmed cases in your region, you must follow the guidance of local health authorities to reduce the risk of transmission. In case of suspicious symptoms of fever, seek immediate medical help and inform about your possible exposure to the disease.