Oropouche Virus: A Growing Threat to Europe
The Oropouche virus, transmitted from sloths through midges, has been reported in Europe with 19 cases. No vaccine is available; protection against insect bites is crucial.
New Oropouche Virus Outbreak in Europe: 19 Cases Reported, No Vaccine Available, and Crucial Precautions Needed Against Insect-Borne Transmission
Europe is facing a new and dangerous health risk as the crippling Oropouche virus, which is spread by midges that feed on sloths, has now been found in the continent. Earlier, in the period of June and July of the year 2024, Europe has confirmed 19 cases of this virus which has been mentioned by the European Center for Disease Control. Out of all these cases, most were reported in Spain with 12, Italy with 5 and Germany with 2 as quoted by the Manchester Evening News.
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Oropouche virus assumed to be transmitted by insects such as insects, mosquitoes especially is associated with pale-throated sloths, non-human primates, and birds. At the moment, there no given vaccine for this virus and this belongs to the same viral family with diseases like Zika and Dengue fever. Researchers and scholars like Dr. Danny Altmann, a professor of Immunology at Imperial College London, had serious concerns for a change and noted that things may reach a point of no return.
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The previous instances of Oropouche virus transmission were registered in South and Central America as well as in some Caribbean States. The rest have occurred in Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Peru, and Cuba in 2024. Out of 18 cases confirmed in Europe, 15 were associated with recent history of travel to Cuba, and one of the cases in Italy was associated with travel to Brazil.
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Like most other individuals, signs of OV infection may manifest as headache, nausea, vomiting, muscle, and joint pain which clear up after a mere 72 hours. Despite such occurrences being rare and unusual, a study by The Lancet revealed two young Brazilian women who died from covid while presenting no prior health complications. Overall, more than 8,000 cases of the infection have been confirmed in the Americas while according to the ECDC, the risk for EU citizens traveling to or living in the affected areas is moderate. One has to make sure you protect yourself from the biting insects, means one has to take some preventative measures such as applying repellent and wearing long-sleeved clothes.
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