Posted by Alumni from Wired
December 21, 2024
outbreaks of Oropouche virus have flared up in the Amazon for decades, but historically the pathogen has little troubled the rest of the world. But this seems to be changing. In 2024, the virus showed that it can travel. Most of this year's 11,000-plus cases occurred in Brazil and Peru, where the virus is an old acquaintance, but it has also been found in 2024 in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Panama, and Cuba'the latter reporting 603 cases as well as in-country transmission for the first time. Infected travelers also transported the virus to North America and Europe: This year it was found twice in Canada and 94 times in the United States'with 90 cases reported in Florida'while 30 imported cases were found across Spain, Italy, and Germany. For those who study Oropouche and other arboviruses'the family of viruses transmitted by arthropods such as mosquitoes and ticks'the situation is worrying. Despite having clues about its transmission cycle, there's insufficient information... learn more