Two young women in Brazil have been claimed to have died from the Oropouche virus, marking the first known Oropouche virus-related deaths in history. The women, who are 21 and 24 years old and from the northeastern state of Bahia, were discovered to have no underlying medical conditions in a preprint study (not yet peer reviewed). The first Oropouche virus deaths in history have been reported from BRAZIL, where two young women passed away from the disease. A pre-print study (not yet peer reviewed) found that the ladies, ages 21 and 24, from the northeastern state of Bahia had no underlying health problems.
Oropouche fever is a tropical virus that infects humans by the bite of midges and mosquitoes that carry the sloth’s blood.
The 21-year-old victim started bleeding from her nose, vagina, and gums four days after she initially displayed symptoms. She was admitted to the hospital and passed away two days later.
The 21-year-old had twice requested assistance from medical facilities but had been discharged both times. She passed away from cardiac arrest a few hours after being admitted to the hospital. Far from the Amazon rainforest, where the Oropouche virus is prevalent, infections are beginning to appear.
Experts worry that the virus, which is mainly spread to humans by Aedes mosquitos carrying sloths, could be the source of South America’s next major outbreak.
Brazil has seen a sharp increase in cases this year, with 7,284 reported, compared to 832 in 2023. Furthermore, a lot of illnesses have been reported in places where the virus has never been detected before. There have also been reports of outbreaks in Peru, Bolivia, and Colombia, three nearby countries.
There have also been cases reported in Ecuador, French Guiana, Panama, and Trinidad & Tobago. The island nation of Cuba, located across the Caribbean Sea, announced its first epidemic in May.
