Sloth fever is spreading in the U.S. as more than 20 people have now tested positive for Oropouche virus disease . But what is it? What are the symptoms ? And where does it come from ?
It was reported that at least 21 people returning to the U.S. from Cuba recently were infected by the virus, which is transmitted by bugs and sprouted in recent months, though the first recorded case was decades ago.
No one has yet died from sloth fever, but officials are concerned as it spreads to the U.S., with doctors warning other doctors to be on the lookout for the virus, especially in travelers returning from Cuba or South America.
What is sloth fever?
Oropouche virus disease, better known as sloth fever, is a virus native to tropical forests. First discovered in 1955 in Trinidad, the virus was named after the nearby village and wetlands where the 24-year-old man who had contracted it was from.
It became known as sloth fever because scientists investigating it first discovered it outside of humans in a three-toed sloth and thought at the time that sloths were important in spreading it between insects and other animals.
Little data have been procured to verify that, but the name stuck. So far, there have been thousands of cases recorded, with as many as 8,000 local cases reported in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, and Peru, it was reported. Other regions of South America and the Caribbean have reported cases, too.
Click here to follow the Mirror US on Google News to stay up to date with all the latest news, sports and entertainment stories.
Few cases have made their way to the U.S. and Europe, but enough to have the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on high alert on Tuesday as more cases have been recorded — there are now as many as 20 in Florida and one in New York, all originating from Cuba.
As many as 19 cases have been recorded across Europe, and all were reported in travelers. The disease spreads via some types of mosquitoes and biting flies called midges. Person-to-person infections haven't yet been recorded, but the possibility hasn't been ruled out. The disease, as previously stated, can infect animals like sloths, too.
It's believed the virus can, however, be passed from a pregnant woman to a fetus, which the authorities in Brazil are investigating after reports of such an occurrence. In that sense, the disease is very similar to the Zika virus from nearly a decade ago.
All travelers, especially to regions like Cuba and South America, are being urged by the CDC to take precautions to avoid bug bites and not to travel if unnecessary. Long-sleeved shirts and pants are recommended if traveling to such areas is necessary.
What are the symptoms of sloth fever?
Sloth fever reportedly manifests very similarly to other tropical diseases like Zika, dengue, or malaria. The symptoms often include fevers, headaches, muscle aches, and, in some cases, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and rashes.
About 1 in 20 patients suffer severe symptoms like bleeding, meningitis, and encephalitis, and some suffered recurring symptoms after the initial ones fade.
The disease is rarely fatal, but there were reports that two young, healthy people in Brazil succumbed to the disease recently. It's not clear whether there were other factors that contributed to those deaths, but they and the disease itself are under investigation.
There aren't currently any vaccines available for the disease nor any medicines that can lessen symptoms, meaning avoiding infection is the best way to prevent or mitigate infections. In that way, the disease seems to closely mirror the conditions in Massachusetts and the Northeast U.S. as Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE), the mosquito-borne disease that has the CDC and other local health officials on edge as it's detected in mosquitoes in the area.
Most Popular
Comments / 0