WASHINGTON — According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) as of Aug. 16, 2024, a total of 21 Oropouche virus disease cases among U.S. travelers returning from Cuba have been reported. Most patients had self-limited illness. None have died, but at least three patients experienced recurrent symptoms after resolution of the initial illness.
Oropouche is a virus that is native to forested tropical areas. It was first identified in 1955 in a 24-year-old forest worker on the island of Trinidad, and was named for a nearby village and wetlands.
According to CDC, the virus circulates in a sylvatic cycle, possibly involving certain vertebrate hosts (e.g., sloths, nonhuman primates, and birds) and mosquitoes, and an urban cycle in which humans serve as amplifying hosts with known vectors being biting midges (Culicoides paraensis) and possibly mosquitoes (e.g., Culex quinquefasciatus).
During December 2023–June 2024, large Oropouche virus disease outbreaks were recognized in areas with known endemic disease, and the virus emerged in new areas in South America and Cuba where it had not been historically reported. As of August 2024, over 8,000 laboratory-confirmed cases have been reported in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, and Peru.
Of the 21 cases identified in 21 U.S. residents returning from travel to Cuba, 20 were in Florida and one in New York.
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