The number of cases in the country increased by 56.4% in the same period of the previous year
Brazil has at least four deaths caused by Fever oropouche In 2025. To date, three deaths have been confirmed by the Department of Health of the State of Rio de Janeiro (SES-RJ) and one from the state of health of the state of Holy Spirit (SES-ES). The first deaths from the disease all over the world were recorded in the country in July last year.
In relation to infections, until May 16, the Ministry of Health Document 10,072 cases of oropouche in Brazil, according to the weekly newsletter of the emergency operating center (COE). This represents an increase of 56.4% in the same period of 2024, when 6,440 cases were recorded.
13,853 infections have been confirmed during the last year. In 2023, the country had 833 events.
The most affected state this year is the Holy Spirit, with 6,118 record. Rio de Janeiro are also worthy of note, with 1.9 thousand cases; Paraíba, with 640; And Ceará, with 573.
According to Coe, people between 20 and 59 years of age represent 70.5% of the infected ones. Among those with less than 1 year, 12 cases have been recorded, you are in Rio de Janeiro, four in Espírito Santo, one in Ceará and one in Paraíba.
What explains the unloading of cases
Last year, the Ministry stressed that the jump was associated with the expansion of the tests for the detection of the disease, distributed to the entire National Public Health Laboratories (Lacen). With that, the The cases, which until then were concentrated in the northern region, have been identified in other areas.
There is also a combination of factors that should be considered, according to the infectoologist Jessica Fernandes Ramos, a member of the center of infectology of the Syrian-Tebanese hospital.
An important aspect, says Jessica, is the mutation of the virus responsible for the disease. Last year, a The new Lignage Orov was detected by the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz). According to the entity, it probably emerged in Amazonas Between 2010 and 2014 and spread in silence in the second half of the decade 2010.
Pedro Vasconcelos, emeritus researcher at the Evandro Chagas (IEC) institute, explained in Interview with Estadão That climate change, deforestation and human migrations are other factors that contribute to the spread of the virus.
First dead
According to Jessica, concern is now greater than in previous years following registered deaths. “Before, it was the Arbovirus with a more benign path, without recording of the deaths,” he observes.
Considering the number of infected people and total cases that have caused death, the lethality of the disease is still considered low, but the doctor strengthens that attention should be doubled.
What is oropouche fever?
The OROPouche virus (Orov) is transmitted to man mainly by the bite of Culicoids Paransisknown as Maruim or Mosquito-Polvora. It was detected in Brazil in the 1960s, by the blood sample of a bug-caught bug during the construction of the Belém-Brazilia motorway.
The disease has two transmission cycles: wild and urban. In the wild cycle, animals such as crumbs and monkeys are the guests of the virus. In the urban cycle, humans are the main hosts.
Maruim It usually occurs in Agrovilas, in the neighborhoods just established and in the areas just dismantled. It is different from Aedes Aegyptitransmitter of Dengue, which spreads more easily in urban centers, where there are more houses.
Therefore, according to experts, it is very difficult to say that there will be an explosive increase in the transmission. But the virus can be changed capable of allowing its adaptation to mosquitoes in the urban area.
Symptoms
The symptoms are similar to those of dense. However, there are some differences in the evolution of the clinical picture. While Dengue patients can develop intense abdominal pain and, in more serious cases, internal bleeding, these symptoms are generally not observed in the oropouche fever.
In the case of oropouche, the most serious paintings may involve a compromise of the central nervous system, causing aseptic and meningoecephalic meningitis, especially in immunocompromised patients.
What is the relationship between the oropouche fever and the microcephaly?
Last year, IEC researchers found evidence of the fact that the oropouche fever can have gone from mother to child during pregnancy. Therefore, they started an investigation into the relationship between cases of death and fetal malformation with infection.
IEC has identified the presence of antibodies against the virus in four children born with microcephaly, as well as genetic material of the virus in a 30 -week gestation.
The ministry warned pregnant women, but stressed that the study did not confirm that the infection during pregnancy was the cause of neurological malformations in children.
At the time, Vasconcelos, who was one of those involved in the investigation, he said to Estadão This, although further tests were still necessary, there were great possibilities that the virus was the cause of the cases of documented microcephaly.
How is the treatment?
There is still no specific drug to treat oropouche fever. Therefore, the treatment is supported, that is, the drugs are generally administered for pain, nausea and fever, as well as the indication of hydration and rest.
How to prevent?
According to the Ministry of Health, the forms of prevention include:
- Avoid areas where there are many mosquitoes if possible;
- Wear clothes that cover most of your body and apply repellent in the exposed areas;
- Keep the house clean, removing possible mosquito breeding soils such as firm water and accumulated leaves;
- If there are cases confirmed in the region, it is recommended to follow the guidelines for the local health authority to reduce the risk of transmission.
Source: Terra
Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.
