Oropouche is commonly known as "sloth fever" and is generally found in Central and South America.
The spread of "sloth fever" has concerned officials with the CDC, which is pleading with the public to take precautions to avoid contracting the potentially deadly virus. The agency's urging of caution comes as nine new cases connected to international travel were reported in Florida in just a week's time. The state has reported 20 cases in total.
Sloth fever is generally more common in South and Central America and is spread by small biting flies and mosquitoes. It has been given the name sloth fever because sloths are among the animals infected regularly, according to reports.
“The term ‘sloth fever’ is a colloquial name that has emerged due to the virus being found in areas where sloths, which are known to carry a range of parasites and pathogens, are present,” Carolina Goncalves, superintendent pharmacist at Pharmica, told the Independent. “However, the name is relatively misleading as it is spread by insect bites, not by direct contact with sloths.”
Sloth fever, or the Oropouche virus, was first detected in Trinidad and Tobago in the 1950s.
This year, there have been more than 8,000 confirmed cases between Jan. 1 and Aug. 1, compared to the 832 confirmed cases in 2023, according to People.
The CDC has also issued a health advisory about the possibility for transmission from a mother to the fetus during pregnancy.
Symptoms of the virus include fever, sensitivity to light, dizziness, nausea and vomiting, severe headache, joint and muscle pain, chills or skin rash. Serious symptoms include severe abdominal pain, hemorrhagic symptoms, and meningitis, which cause inflammation of the brain and spinal cord. Although rare, death is possible when severe symptoms occur.
In most cases, symptoms last less than a week. However, the CDC said they can recur days or even weeks later.
There is currently no vaccines or medication to treat the Oropouche virus or prevent infection, the CDC says. “The best way to protect yourself and your family from Oropouche is to prevent bites from biting midges and mosquitoes," the CDC says.
