More than 20 people who have returned to the United States from Cuba have been infected in recent months with an insect-borne virus, federal health officials said Tuesday. They all had Oropouche virus disease, also known as lazy fever.
No cases have been reported and there is no evidence that the virus is spreading in the United States. However, U.S. officials have warned American doctors to remain vigilant for infection in travelers from Cuba and South America.
Here’s a look at the disease and what triggered the alert:
What is the Oropouche virus?
Oropouche is a virus native to tropical forested areas. It was first identified in 1955 in a 24-year-old forest worker on the island of Trinidad. It is named after a village and nearby wetlands.
It was sometimes called sloth fever because scientists who studied the virus first found it in a three-toed sloth and believed that sloths played a significant role in its spread between insects and animals.
How is the Oropouche virus spread?
The virus is transmitted to humans by small biting flies called midges and by some types of mosquitoes. Humans have been infected while visiting forested areas and are thought to have contributed to the spread of the virus in cities, but no human-to-human transmission has been reported.
How many cases have there been?
Since late last year, the virus has been identified as causing major outbreaks in the Amazon regions where it was known, as well as in new areas of South America and the Caribbean. About 8,000 locally acquired cases have been reported in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Cuba and Peru.
Some travelers have tested positive in the United States and Europe. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Tuesday that 21 U.S. cases have been reported so far — 20 in Florida and one in New York — all of which occurred in Cuba. European health officials had previously said they had detected 19 cases, almost all among travelers.
What are the symptoms and treatments?
Symptoms can be similar to those of other tropical diseases such as dengue fever, Zika virus or malaria. Fever, headache and muscle aches are common, and some infected people also experience diarrhea, nausea, vomiting or a rash.
Some patients suffer recurring symptoms, and 1 in 20 may suffer more serious symptoms such as bleeding, meningitis or encephalitis. The disease is rarely fatal, although recent deaths in two healthy young Brazilians have been reported.
There is no vaccine to prevent infections and no medication to treat the symptoms.
Are there any other concerns?
In Brazil, authorities are investigating reports that infections could be transmitted from a pregnant woman to a fetus — a potentially frightening echo of what was seen during the Zika outbreaks nearly a decade ago.
The CDC has recommended that pregnant women avoid nonessential travel to Cuba and suggested that all travelers take steps to prevent insect bites, such as using insect repellent and wearing long-sleeved shirts and long pants.
