The Canary Islands Directorate General of Public Health has confirmed three new cases of the Oropouche virus, a mysterious virus once confined to the Amazon that is being found across the world.
It is believed the virus was brought to the area from Cuba after three people began exhibiting symptoms consistent with it after returning from the Caribbean Island.
The affected people are a 36-year-old man, a 32-year-old woman from Tenerife, as well as a 52-year-old man from Gran Canaria. All three responded well to hospital treatment and did not require hospitalisation.
The Health Alert and Emergency Coordination Centre (CCAES) has reported additional cases of the Oropouche virus in other Spanish regions, including Galicia, Andalusia, the Basque Country, and Madrid in the last few weeks.
There have already been over 8,000 cases of the virus in five countries during the first seven months of 2024 and is believed to be responsible for the deaths of two women in Brazil and the potential deaths of two unborn children.
How is the virus spread?
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warns that the virus is spread to people primarily by the bite of infected biting midges. Some mosquitoes can also spread the virus. Most infected people will develop symptoms that can often reoccur.
There are no vaccines to prevent or medicines to treat Oropouche. The best way to protect yourself from Oropouche is to prevent bites from biting midges and mosquitoes.
Where does the virus come from?
The virus is named after the village in which it was first found in Trinidad and Tobago in 1955.
Since then, the virus has been responsible for sporadic outbreaks across the Brazilian Amazon. Estimates suggest that there has been around 500,000 cases since it was discovered but accurate reporting is difficult due to lack of medical facilities and ease with which it can be misdiagnosed.
What are the symptoms?
Common symptoms include sudden onset of fever, severe headache, chills, muscle aches, and joint pain. Other symptoms can include sensitivity to light, dizziness, pain behind the eyes, nausea, vomiting, and rash. Symptoms typically last less than a week (2–7 days) and can often reoccur a few days or even weeks later. Most people with Oropouche recover within several days to one month.
Some people (fewer than one in 20) will develop more serious disease. This includes meningitis (inflammation of the membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord), encephalitis (inflammation of the brain), or bleeding. Death from Oropouche is rare.
Travel recommendations
Given the method of transmission, there are no implications for Brits planning to travel to the Canary Islands as a result.
The Canary Islands Directorate General of Public Health has reiterated travel recommendations issued by the Ministry of Health for those planning to visit areas where Oropouche virus outbreaks have been reported, including Brazil, Peru, Argentina, Bolivia, Cuba, Panama, and Trinidad and Tobago.