International authorities are warning of “sloth fever.” Despite its name, you can’t catch it from sloths. Instead, it’s best to avoid contact with mosquitoes and biting midges.
So how can Australians protect themselves from sloth fever when traveling to South and Central America? And how does “sloth fever” compare to other mosquito-borne diseases like Zika?
What is sloth fever?
Sloth fever is attributable to Oropouche virus and is formally referred to as Oropouche viral disease or Oropouche fever.
The virus is orthobunyavirusIt due to this fact belongs to a special family of viruses than the flaviviruses (which include dengue, Japanese encephalitis and Murray Valley encephalitis viruses) and alphaviruses (chikungunya, Ross River virus and Barmah Forest virus).
Oropouche virus was first identified in 1955. It is named after the village in Trinidad and Tobago where the one that contracted it lived. first isolated from lived.
Symptoms include fever, severe headache, chills, muscle pain, joint pain, nausea, vomiting, and rash. This makes it difficult to distinguish it from other viral infections. About 60% of individuals infected get sick with the virus.
Is no specific treatment and most individuals get better in lower than a month.
However, serious symptomsincluding encephalitis and meningitis (inflammation of the brain and the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord) have been reported occasionally.
What is happening with this latest epidemic?
In July Pan American Health Organization issued a warning after two women from northeastern Brazil died from Oropouche virus infection, the primary death related to the virus.
There was also one fetal death, one miscarriage, and 4 cases of newborns with microcephaly, a condition characterised by an abnormally small head, that occurred while pregnant. This situation is paying homage to Zika virus outbreak in 2015–2016.
Oropouche has historically been a major problem in America. However, the disease lost its importance after subsequent outbreaks of the epidemic. chikungunya AND Zika from 2013 to 2016 and recently, dengue.
How does Oropouche virus spread?
Oropouche virus has has not been well researched compared to other insect-borne pathogens. We still don’t fully understand how the virus It’s spreading.
The virus is transmitted primarily by blood-sucking insects, particularly midges (especially ) and mosquitoes (potentially multiple species , , , and ).
We consider the virus circulates in forest areas, with primates, sloths, and birds being the essential suspected vectors. In urban outbreaks, humans are carriers of the virus, and blood-sucking insects infect others.
Share of midges (blood-sucking insects) in Australia they’re wrongly called “sand flies”) makes the transmission cycle of Oropouche virus somewhat different from that of viruses spread solely by mosquitoes. The kinds of insects that spread the virus may additionally differ between forested and urban areas.
A/Prof Cameron Webb (Health Pathology NSW)
Why is Oropouche virus becoming more common?
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) within the United States recently issued a warning on the growing cases of Oropouche in America. The variety of cases is increasing outside areas where it was previously found, corresponding to the Amazon basin, worrying authorities.
More than 8,000 cases of the disease have been reported in countries including Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Colombia and Cuba.
There have been reports of travelers in Cuba and Brazil becoming infected after returning to the country. Europe AND North Americaappropriately.
While changing climate, deforestation and increased human movement may partly explain the rise in cases and the geographic spread of the virus, but there could also be something else at play.
Oropouche virus seems to have greater potential genomic reassortmentThis means the virus may evolve more rapidly than other viruses, potentially leading to more severe disease or increased transmission.
Other kinds of orthobunyaviruses have been shown to undergo genetic changes, cause more severe illness.
Should Australia be anxious?
Without more information on the role of local midges and mosquitoes within the spread of Oropouche virus, it is difficult to assess how great a risk it poses to Australia.
The risk of an infected traveller bringing the virus back to Australia is low. Very few cases of Zika have been reported in travellers from South or Central America return to Australia. Dengue is rarely reported from these travelers.
The biting insects most significant in spreading the virus in America are usually not present in Australia.
Although the chance is small, authorities need to concentrate on potentially infected travelers getting back from South and Central America and remember that appropriate test protocols to detect infection.
Australia has own local orthobunyaviruses Although these bacteria are known to cause infections, the health risk is considered to be low.
What can travellers do to protect themselves?
There are not any vaccines or specific treatments for Oropouche virus.
If you’re traveling to South and Central American countries, take appropriate steps to avoid mosquito and midge bites.
Mosquito repellents containing diethyltoluamide (DEET), picaridin, and lemon eucalyptus oil have been proven to be effective in reducing the results of mosquito bites and are expected to be effective against midge bites as well.
You can further reduce your risk by wearing long-sleeved shirts, long pants, and closed shoes.
Sleeping and resting under mosquito nets impregnated with insecticide will help, but you’ll need nets with much finer meshes, as midges are much smaller than mosquitoes.
Although Australian authorities haven’t issued any specific warnings, CDC AND European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control warn that pregnant women should discuss travel plans and potential risks with their doctor.