Travellers: beware of Oropouche virus. Is it the next Zika?

Heading south for the winter? Oropouche virus, a new infectious disease, has been reported in travellers from Canada and the United States who visited Bolivia, Brazil, Peru, and Cuba. An article published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) https://www.cmaj.ca/lookup/doi/10.1503/cmaj.241440 provides an overview of this emerging virus.

Similar to viruses like dengue and Zika, Oropouche virus symptoms include fever, chills, headache, and muscle aches. The incubation period is 3–10 days, and symptoms last 2–7 days and may recur weeks later in some people. The virus is transmitted by small biting midges and some mosquitos. Wearing long-sleeved clothing and using mosquito nets and insect repellents containing DEET can help prevent infection.

There are currently no vaccines or antivirals to prevent or treat Oropouche virus. Acetaminophen is recommended for symptom relief; nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications should not be used.

As with Zika virus, in pregnant people, Oropouche virus may cause miscarriage and microcephaly. Given these risks, The Public Health Agency of Canada recommends that travellers take precautions to avoid insect bites, and that pregnant people or people planning pregnancy consider deferring travel to areas with Oropouche outbreaks.