Oropouche Fever

Oropouche fever is a tropical disease caused by the Oropouche virus, spread by biting midges and mosquitoes from a natural reservoir that includes sloths, non-human primates and birds. It is named for the Oropouche River in Trinidad and Tobago, where it was first identified in 1955, and since then more than thirty epidemics have been recorded across South and Central America, chiefly Brazil, Peru and Panama, with over half a million diagnosed cases. Symptoms resemble those of dengue, chikungunya or Zika, usually beginning three to eight days after infection with fever, headache and joint and muscle pain, and most cases resolve within a week, though up to 15 percent of severe cases involve excessive bleeding and the central nervous system can be affected. It is considered one of the most neglected tropical diseases, with no specific treatment or vaccine.