Sloth fever outbreak: A new outbreak in the United States has become a cause of concern. More than 20 Cuba returnees have been infected with a virus that is often transmitted by bugs. On examination, it was found that all 20 people were infected with Oropouche virus disease, also known as sloth fever.
According to a report by TIME, no one has died so far however, officials are warning U.S. doctors to be on the lookout for the infection in travelers coming from Cuba and South America.
A report by USA Today reveals that more than 8,000 cases of Oropouche virus disease have been reported through August 1 in Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Colombia and Cuba. On Wednesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said that cases also have surfaced in the U.S. and Europe involving travelers returning from Cuba and Brazil.
There is no evidence that the oropouche virus can jump from human to human so far. According to a report by Science Alert, the pathogen is thought to have developed in some tropical insects of Central and South America, which then infect forest animals – principally sloths, but also some primates, rodents, and birds.
Recently, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) issued an advisory warning urging member states to strengthen their surveillance of the disease, as cases in Central and South America and the Caribbean surge for unknown reasons. Moreover, PAHO officials are concerned by the oropouche virus spreading into regions where it was not previously considered endemic, such as Bolivia and Cuba.
What is Sloth Fever?
Oropouche viral infection, informally known as Sloth fever, was first found in Trinidad and Tobago in 1955. The virus spreads by midges and mosquito bites and is endemic in central and eastern South America.
Interestingly, it is called sloth fever because scientists first investigating the virus found it in a three-toed sloth. They believed sloths were important in its spread between insects and animals.
What are the symptoms of Sloth Fever?
Symptoms can seem similar to other tropical diseases like dengue, Zika or malaria. Some common symptoms include:
- Fever
- headaches
- muscle aches
- diarrhea
- nausea
- vomiting
- rash
In rare cases, patients can suffer more severe symptoms like bleeding, meningitis and encephalitis. It is rarely fatal, though there are recent reports of deaths in two healthy young people in Brazil.
How it is treated?
There are no vaccines to prevent infections and no medicines available to treat the symptoms. According to CDC, supportive care is recommended for clinical management of patients. Treatment for symptoms can include rest, fluids, and use of analgesics and antipyretics. Patients who develop more severe symptoms should be hospitalized for close observation and supportive treatment, it stated.