A deadly virus commonly known as “sloth fever” is causing renewed alarm across the United States. Florida reports 9 new cases It’s a worrying sign for a week related to international travel as New Yorkers and other Americans return from summer holidays.
Sloth fever, or Oropouche fever, spread by small biting flies and mosquitoes, Oropouche virusOne case has been reported so far in New York state, according to the state health department’s latest report.
Earlier this month, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) warned of “very worrying changes in the observed clinical and epidemiological characteristics” of the disease, including a recent increase and spread of cases in newly recorded areas outside of areas previously thought to be endemic for Oropauche. Of further concern, officials said, is the first reported deaths linked to sloth fever, as well as confirmation of the potential transmission of the disease, which can lead to fetal deaths and health problems during childbirth.
According to PAHO, the risk to the Americas, including North and South America, where the disease has recently spread, is considered high. Following PAHO’s report, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a memo advising clinicians and public health officials about the expanded threat. New York State health officials then distributed the advisory to health care workers throughout New York State as an alert.
According to the CDC, the Oropouche virus is brought into urban environments by infected people who may have become infected while visiting wooded areas. The virus is transmitted from animals, such as the sloths for which it is named, and rodents, to mosquitoes and flies, which then transmit it to humans. There is no evidence of community transmission in the United States, according to the CDC. However, in urban areas, midges and certain mosquitoes can transmit the virus from infected people to non-infected people, according to the CDC. More cases are expected in the United States, officials have said.
According to the CDC, the 2024 outbreak is currently occurring in endemic and new areas outside the Amazon basin, including Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Colombia, and Cuba.
Here are some tips from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on what to do if you get bitten by a mosquito.
What are the symptoms of sloth fever?
Diagnosis is difficult because the clinical symptoms are similar to other mosquito-borne viral illnesses, such as dengue and chikungunya. Dengue is much more prevalent in New York, with 165 travel-related cases so far this year, according to the health department, so it’s important to rule it out before investigating the possibility of Oropauche virus infection. Clinical diagnosis of Oropauche is not available through commercial laboratories. At this time, New York says it is only testing people who have tested negative for dengue and have similar symptoms and travel history.
According to the CDC, about 60% of people infected with the Oropauche virus develop symptoms. The incubation period is usually three to 10 days.
Oropouche most often presents with an acute onset of fever, chills, headache, muscle and joint pain. Eye pain, photosensitivity, nausea, vomiting and fatigue may also occur. According to the CDC, symptoms tend to subside after a few days, but most people (70%) experience recurrent symptoms several days to weeks after the initial symptoms subside.
The illness is usually mild, but fewer than 5% of patients can develop neuroinvasive disease, such as hemorrhage or meningitis, according to the CDC. Symptoms of meningitis can include severe eye pain, dizziness, confusion and lethargy.
People who have come into contact with infected midges or mosquitoes are at highest risk of developing the disease, but risk factors for more severe cases have not been clearly defined, according to the CDC. People at risk for more severe illness likely include those who are at high risk for other serious viral infections, such as those over 65 years of age and those with underlying medical conditions. There is no specific antiviral treatment or vaccine. Treatment includes rest, hydration, and painkillers.
More than 8,000 cases of Oropouche virus have been confirmed in five South American countries so far this year.
Meanwhile, in New York City, authorities have begun targeting certain neighborhoods with mosquito sprays amid growing concern about the West Nile virus, which recently led to Dr. Anthony Fauci’s brief hospitalization.
Dengue fever is a viral infection spread by mosquitoes. Here’s what you need to know.
