Press
For the first time in Europe, a person has fallen ill with Oropouche fever. The person had previously been in the Caribbean. The virus is similar to dengue fever.
Negrar – Italy has once again reported a tropical disease. In the past, the country had already recorded the most cases of tropical dengue fever. The WHO had also warned of the spread of the viral disease. Now Italy is the first European country to announce the first case of oropouche fever. A disease that is similar to dengue fever. However, scientists also see an advantage in the case.
Tropical virus disease in Italy: First case in all of Europe
“Oropouche fever is caused by the virus of the same name (OROV), which is normally found in the Amazon region and is transmitted to humans through insect bites, especially mosquitoes and midges,” explained Federico Giovanni Gobbi to the Italian news agency ANSA, which reported on June 14. He heads the Infectious, Tropical and Microbiological Diseases Unit of the Sacro Cuore Don Calabria (IRCCS), where the virus was isolated for the development of specific diagnostic tests. The sick person who was diagnosed with the virus had previously been in the Caribbean.
The possibility of spread by potential vectors of the virus, such as mosquitoes and midges, which are widespread in Italy, is being investigated. The competent health authorities of the Veneto region and the state, as well as international information and surveillance services, were immediately informed of the case. Oropouche fever is one of the most widespread arboviruses in South America. Over 500,000 cases have been diagnosed since 1955, although the number of unreported cases may be even higher.
Tropical viral disease Oropouche fever: symptoms similar to dengue fever
“Symptoms usually appear 3-8 days after the bite of the vector insect and are largely comparable to those of other tropical viral fevers such as dengue fever, Zika or chikungunya,” explained Concetta Castilletti, head of the Department of Virology and Emerging Pathogens at the IRCCS. These include:
- High fever (over 39 degrees)
- Headache
- Pain in the eye sockets
- chills
- nausea
- Vomit
- General malaise
- Myalgia
- Joint pain
- Photosensitivity
- Source: ANSA and WHO
According to the WHO, most people recover within seven days, although in some cases recovery may take weeks. Severe clinical symptoms are rare, but can lead to aseptic meningitis. There is no specific treatment or vaccination for Oropouche fever. Patients are treated symptomatically and medically monitored, such as the Republic reported. So far, no transmission of the virus from person to person has been documented.
First case of Oropouche fever in Europe: Science draws positive conclusion
Experts emphasize the Republicthat Oropouche fever, like other arboviruses, is a public health emergency that must be addressed in the face of climate change and increasing human mobility. Viruses that were once only found in the tropics are now endemic in other places. In the Mediterranean region, health facilities should be prepared for potentially new pathogens.
By isolating the virus, IRCCS scientists have gained a decisive advantage that enables them to improve diagnostics and research. “Timely diagnosis and constant monitoring, combined with public health measures such as pest control, remain the most important tool for containing these risks,” the expert opinion read.
At the beginning of the year there was a massive outbreak of dengue fever in Brazil. (vk)