Brazil reports two Oropouche fever deaths, 1st known reported fatalities
The Brazil Ministry of Health confirmed this Thursday two deaths from Oropouche fever in the country. Until now, there was no report in the world's scientific literature about the occurrence of death from the disease, the ministry reported.
The deaths were of women who lived in the interior of Bahia. They were in their 20s, had no comorbidities, and presented signs and symptoms similar to severe dengue- the first confirmed death was of a woman without comorbidities, 21 years old, on March 27. The victim was a resident of the municipality of Valença in Bahia state.
The second confirmed death was also of a woman with no record of comorbidities. The resident of Camamu, Bahia was 24 years old and died in Itabuna, Bahia, on May 10. The death was only announced by the Bahia State Health Department (Sesab) this Monday (July 22), after tests were carried out to confirm the cause of death.
The patients who died from Oropuche fever presented symptoms such as fever, headache, retro-orbital pain (in the deepest part of the eye), myalgia (muscle pain), nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, pain in the lower limbs and weakness. Both developed more serious symptoms such as: red and purple spots on the body, nasal, gum and vaginal bleeding, drowsiness and vomiting with hypotension, severe bleeding, and presented an abrupt drop in hemoglobin and platelets in the blood.
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The national ministry of health is also investigating a death in Santa Catarina and whether four cases of pregnancy interruption and two cases of microcephaly in babies are related to the disease (Pernambuco, Bahia and Acre).
On the July 11, the Ministry of Health issued a technical note to all states and municipalities recommending the reinforcement of health surveillance regarding the possibility of vertical transmission of the virus. With the technical note, the ministry also intends to guide society about arboviruses.
Oropouche fever is a viral disease. The Oropouche virus is transmitted primarily through the bite of a midge known as the maruim ( Culicoides paraensis ), as well as by the Culex mosquito. In Brazil, the virus was first isolated in 1960.
The symptoms are similar to those of dengue and chikungunya. The acute clinical picture may evolve with sudden onset of fever, headache, muscle pain and joint pain. Other symptoms, such as dizziness, pain behind the eyes, chills, photophobia, nausea and vomiting are also reported.
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More severe cases may include central nervous system involvement, such as meningoencephalitis, especially in immunocompromised patients. There are also reports of hemorrhagic manifestations. Some patients (studies report up to 60%) may experience relapse, with the same symptoms or only fever, headache and myalgia after one to two weeks from the initial manifestations.
To monitor cases in Brazil, the Ministry of Health coordinates a National Arbovirus Room , which operates permanently, monitoring not only the situation of oropouche, but also cases of dengue, chikungunya and Zika. The department recently published a technical note with recommendations on preventive measures and guidelines so that states and municipalities can intensify surveillance of virus transmission.
There is no specific treatment available. Preventive measures consist of avoiding areas where biting flies are present or minimizing exposure to vector bites, either through individual protection (wearing long clothing and closed shoes) or collective protection (cleaning land and livestock areas, collecting leaves and fruit that fall to the ground, using fine-mesh screens on doors and windows).
To date, approximately 7,000 Oropouche cases have been reported in Brazil, with hundreds more reported in Colombia, Peru, Bolivia and Cuba on this area of the world.
