Oropouche virus spreads in South America as scientists warn of potential outbreaks in the U.S.

As Oropouche virus cases rise across South America, experts call for urgent action to prevent its spread, with the U.S. potentially at risk due to travel-associated cases.

Synopsis: Reemergence of Oropouche Virus in the Americas and Risk for Spread in the United States and Its Territories, 2024 . Image Credit: CI Photos / Shutterstock In a recent review published in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases , researchers reviewed available information on the epidemiology, diagnosis, and transmission-risk associations of the Oropouche virus (OROV) (genus Orthobunyavirus ). Reports suggest that the disease has been reemerging and expanding in its range, particularly since late 2023.

In the span of just nine months (January – September 2024), more than 9,000 cases and two deaths were reported from six South American nations, with additional reports of travel-associated cases in North America and Europe, highlighting the need for a preparedness review before a potential large-scale disease outbreak. Distribution of biting midge and mosquito vectors in the United States and select territories based on field observations and modelling in study of reemergence of Oropouche virus in the Americas, 2024. (A) Culicoides paraensis biting midge; (B) Culex quinquefasciatus mosquito; (C) Culicoides sonorensis biting midge.

Presence of vectors in a jurisdiction does not imply uniform distribution throughout an entire geographic area. A zone exists where Cx. quinquefasciatus mosquito hybridiz.