Health detects three new cases of the Oropouche virus in the Canary Islands

The General Directorate of Public Health of the Canary Islands Health Service (SCS) has received a notification from the Ministry of Health of three new imported cases of Oropouche virus in the Canary Islands, two men and a woman who present symptoms compatible with the infection after returning from Cuba.

Specifically, it is a 36-year-old man and a 32-year-old woman residing in Tenerife, as well as a 52-year-old man residing in Gran Canaria who began to present symptoms compatible with the infection after returning from their respective trips to Cuba, as reported this Tuesday by the Ministry of Health in a statement.

Given the presence of symptoms such as fever, diarrhea and joint pain, and given that the tests carried out in the Canary Islands for the detection of dengue, zika and chikungunya had been negative, the two samples from patients in Tenerife taken at the Nuestra Señora de Candelaria University Hospital and that of the patient from Gran Canaria taken at the Gran Canaria Doctor Negrín University Hospital were sent to the National Center for Microbiology, an organization that has just confirmed the three positives.

The three people have evolved favorably after the administration of the indicated medication and none of them have required hospital admission. In addition, there are currently three other cases under study, one of which is the one that has been under study for a few weeks.

These three confirmed cases are in addition to the one already notified at the beginning of this month, a 49-year-old man residing in Gran Canaria who began to present symptoms after returning from a trip to Cuba. In this case, he also had a favorable evolution without hospital admission and whose epidemiological episode is now considered closed.

The Center for Coordination of Health Alerts and Emergencies (CCAES) has notified in previous weeks several cases in other autonomous communities such as Galicia, Andalusia, the Basque Country and Madrid.

In this regard, the General Directorate of Public Health of the SCS recalls the recommendations issued by the Ministry of Health for those who are going to travel to places where outbreaks in humans of the Oropouche virus have been declared (Brazil, Peru, Argentina, Bolivia, Cuba, Panama or Trinidad and Tobago) to prevent mosquito bites, especially in the case of pregnant women or those planning to conceive and travelers with diseases of the immune system or chronic diseases, since they constitute population groups at greater risk.

Among the main recommendations are the use of mosquito repellents with one of these active ingredients: DEET (Diethyltoluamide), picaridin, Citriodiol or IR3535 and, in the case of people with a higher risk of bites such as forestry and agricultural workers, it is advisable to use clothing that covers the exposed parts of the body, as well as the use of repellents.

In children under two months, physical barriers such as mosquito nets should always be used to cover the cribs and strollers of babies, and avoid the use of repellents. In children over two months, also prioritize physical barriers and if using repellents, it is especially advisable to consult the manufacturer's recommendations.

It is also advisable to wear light-colored clothing that covers most of the body, especially during the hours of greatest mosquito activity, and avoid brightly colored clothing, especially yellow, which attracts mosquitoes.

In addition, the use of intense perfumes should be avoided, fine mesh mosquito nets should be installed on doors and windows, whether impregnated with insecticides or not, it is essential if the accommodation is not adequately air-conditioned and do not open the windows if there are no mosquito nets in good condition.

In domestic environments, as an additional protection measure, it is recommended to use insecticides, which act by killing the mosquito, and in areas where an outbreak of this virus has been declared, outdoor activities should be avoided during the period of greatest activity of the vectors, at dawn and dusk).

This virus, identified for the first time in 1955 in Vega de Oropouche (Trinidad), is a disease transmitted through the bite of the midge mosquitoes (Culicoides paraensis and Culex quinquefasciatus), which are not currently present in European territory, since their usual habitat is Latin America.

The main symptoms of this infection are vomiting, nausea, fever, headache and diarrhea, among others, and its duration is usually between five - seven days. In very rare occasions the disease presents severe conditions with aseptic meningitis.

As of July 30, 2024, 8,078 cases have been reported in countries such as Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Cuba and Colombia, so the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) issued an epidemiological alert on August 1, urging countries to strengthen surveillance and improve laboratory diagnosis to identify and control the virus.