1887
  1. Home
  2. Eurosurveillance
  3. Volume 30, Issue 41, 16/Oct/2025
  4. Article
Outbreaks Open Access
Like 0
Download

Abstract

Oropouche fever is a vector-borne disease endemic in Central and South America. Infection with Oropouche virus (OROV) was confirmed in June and July 2024 in 13 patients travelling from Cuba to Spain. These patients presented fever, headache, myalgia and arthralgia, and three patients exhibited a biphasic course, with two developing transient neurological symptoms. Oropouche virus infection was diagnosed using reverse transcription quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) and neutralisation tests. Viral RNA was detected in specimens from serum, urine, plasma and whole blood; from four urine samples up to 24 days post-symptom onset. Phylogenetic analysis of one OROV strain (OROV SP2024) isolated from one patient, demonstrated it clustered closely with reassortant strains circulating in Brazil and imported cases in Italy. These findings underscore the importance of including OROV in the differential diagnosis of febrile illnesses in returning travellers and demonstrate the diagnostic value of analysing multiple sample types. Enhanced clinical awareness and diagnostic capacity are essential to improve detection and surveillance of OROV among international travellers from affected regions.

© Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2025.30.41.2400719
2025-10-16
2025-11-11
/content/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2025.30.41.2400719
Loading
Loading full text...

Full text loading...

/deliver/fulltext/eurosurveillance/30/41/eurosurv-30-41-2.html?itemId=/content/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2025.30.41.2400719&mimeType=html&fmt=ahah

References

  1. Anderson CR, Spence L, Downs WG, Aitken THG. Oropouche virus: a new human disease agent from Trinidad, West Indies. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 1961;10(4):574-8.  https://doi.org/10.4269/ajtmh.1961.10.574  PMID: 13683183 
  2. Sah R, Srivastava S, Kumar S, Golmei P, Rahaman SA, Mehta R, et al. Oropouche fever outbreak in Brazil: an emerging concern in Latin America. Lancet Microbe. 2024;5(10):100904.  https://doi.org/10.1016/S2666-5247(24)00136-8  PMID: 38971172 
  3. Ciuoderis KA, Berg MG, Perez LJ, Hadji A, Perez-Restrepo LS, Aristizabal LC, et al. Oropouche virus as an emerging cause of acute febrile illness in Colombia. Emerg Microbes Infect. 2022;11(1):2645-57.  https://doi.org/10.1080/22221751.2022.2136536  PMID: 36239235 
  4. Benitez AJ, Alvarez M, Perez L, Gravier R, Serrano S, Hernandez DM, et al. Oropouche fever, Cuba, May 2024. Emerg Infect Dis. 2024;30(10):2155-9.  https://doi.org/10.3201/eid3010.240900  PMID: 39255237 
  5. Manock SR, Jacobsen KH, de Bravo NB, Russell KL, Negrete M, Olson JG, et al. Etiology of acute undifferentiated febrile illness in the Amazon basin of Ecuador. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2009;81(1):146-51.  https://doi.org/10.4269/ajtmh.2009.81.146  PMID: 19556580 
  6. Gaillet M, Pichard C, Restrepo J, Lavergne A, Perez L, Enfissi A, et al. Outbreak of Oropouche virus in French Guiana. Emerg Infect Dis. 2021;27(10):2711-4.  https://doi.org/10.3201/eid2710.204760  PMID: 34545800 
  7. Tesh RB. The emerging epidemiology of Venezuelan hemorrhagic fever and Oropouche fever in tropical South America. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1994;740(1):129-37.  https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1749-6632.1994.tb19863.x  PMID: 7840443 
  8. Aguilar PV, Barrett AD, Saeed MF, Watts DM, Russell K, Guevara C, et al. Iquitos virus: a novel reassortant Orthobunyavirus associated with human illness in Peru. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2011;5(9):e1315.  https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0001315  PMID: 21949892 
  9. International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV). Virus Taxonomy. Family: Peribunyaviridae. Rockville: ICTV; Jan 2025. Available from: https://ictv.global/report/chapter/peribunyaviridae/peribunyaviridae/orthobunyavirus
  10. Vasconcelos HB, Nunes MRT, Casseb LMN, Carvalho VL, Pinto da Silva EV, Silva M, et al. Molecular epidemiology of Oropouche virus, Brazil. Emerg Infect Dis. 2011;17(5):800-6.  https://doi.org/10.3201/eid1705.101333  PMID: 21529387 
  11. Naveca FG, Almeida TAP, Souza V, Nascimento V, Silva D, Nascimento F, et al. Human outbreaks of a novel reassortant Oropouche virus in the Brazilian Amazon region. Nat Med. 2024;30(12):3509-21.  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-024-03300-3  PMID: 39293488 
  12. Pan American Health Organization of the World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO). Epidemiological Update Oropouche in the Americas Region - 11 February 2025. Washington DC: PAHO/WHO; 11 Feb 2025. Available from: https://www.paho.org/en/documents/epidemiological-update-oropouche-americas-region-11-february-2025
  13. Castilletti C, Mori A, Matucci A, Ronzoni N, Van Duffel L, Rossini G, et al. Oropouche fever cases diagnosed in Italy in two epidemiologically non-related travellers from Cuba, late May to early June 2024. Euro Surveill. 2024;29(26):2400362.  https://doi.org/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2024.29.26.2400362  PMID: 38940002 
  14. Morrison A, White JL, Hughes HR, Guagliardo SAJ, Velez JO, Fitzpatrick KA, et al. Oropouche virus disease among U.S. travelers - United States, 2024. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2024;73(35):769-73.  https://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7335e1  PMID: 39236058 
  15. Maier MA, Neurohr EM, Barreto-Miranda I, Gabriel M, Günther S, Bélard S. Imported Oropouche fever to Germany in a returning traveller from Cuba. Infection. 2025;53(2):753-4.  https://doi.org/10.1007/s15010-024-02400-z  PMID: 39373950 
  16. de Lima STS, Hua X, Claro IM, Filho CG, Simões Mello LM, de Jesus R, et al. Molecular epidemiology of Oropouche virus, Ceará State, Brazil, 2024. Emerg Infect Dis. 2025;31(4):838-42.  https://doi.org/10.3201/eid3104.241471  PMID: 40072503 
  17. Pinheiro FP, Hoch AL, Gomes ML, Roberts DR. Oropouche virus. IV. Laboratory transmission by Culicoides paraensis. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 1981;30(1):172-6.  https://doi.org/10.4269/ajtmh.1981.30.172  PMID: 7212164 
  18. Pinheiro FP, Travassos da Rosa APA, Gomes MLC, LeDuc JW, Hoch AL. Transmission of Oropouche virus from man to hamster by the midge Culicoides paraensis. Science. 1982;215(4537):1251-3.  https://doi.org/10.1126/science.6800036  PMID: 6800036 
  19. Walsh CES, Robert MA, Christofferson RC. Observational characterization of the ecological and environmental features associated with the presence of Oropouche virus and the primary vector Culicoides paraenesis: data synthesis and systematic review. Trop Med Infect Dis. 2021;6(3):143.  https://doi.org/10.3390/tropicalmed6030143  PMID: 34449725 
  20. Romero-Alvarez D, Escobar LE. Oropouche fever, an emergent disease from the Americas. Microbes Infect. 2018;20(3):135-46.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.micinf.2017.11.013  PMID: 29247710 
  21. Zhang Y, Liu X, Wu Z, Feng S, Lu K, Zhu W, et al. Oropouche virus: a neglected global arboviral threat. Virus Res. 2024;341:199318.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.virusres.2024.199318  PMID: 38224842 
  22. Files MA, Hansen CA, Herrera VC, Schindewolf C, Barrett ADT, Beasley DWC, et al. Baseline mapping of Oropouche virology, epidemiology, therapeutics, and vaccine research and development. NPJ Vaccines. 2022;7(1):38.  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41541-022-00456-2  PMID: 35301331 
  23. Pastula DM, Beckham JD, Tyler KL. Oropouche virus: an emerging neuroinvasive arbovirus. Ann Neurol. 2024;97(1):28-33.  https://doi.org/10.1002/ana.27139  PMID: 39560215 
  24. Camarão AAR, Swanepoel R, Boinas F, Quan M. Development and analytical validation of a group-specific RT-qPCR assay for the detection of the Simbu serogroup orthobunyaviruses. J Virol Methods. 2019;271:113685.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jviromet.2019.113685  PMID: 31220478 
  25. Moreli ML, Aquino VH, Cruz ACR, Figueiredo LTM. Diagnosis of Oropouche virus infection by RT-nested-PCR. J Med Virol. 2002;66(1):139-42.  https://doi.org/10.1002/jmv.2122  PMID: 11748670 
  26. Naveca FG, Nascimento VAD, Souza VCD, Nunes BTD, Rodrigues DSG, Vasconcelos PFDC. Multiplexed reverse transcription real-time polymerase chain reaction for simultaneous detection of Mayaro, Oropouche, and Oropouche-like viruses. Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz. 2017;112(7):510-3.  https://doi.org/10.1590/0074-02760160062  PMID: 28591313 
  27. Rojas A, Stittleburg V, Cardozo F, Bopp N, Cantero C, López S, et al. Real-time RT-PCR for the detection and quantitation of Oropouche virus. Diagn Microbiol Infect Dis. 2020;96(1):114894.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.diagmicrobio.2019.114894  PMID: 31727377 
  28. Travassos da Rosa JF, de Souza WM, Pinheiro FP, Figueiredo ML, Cardoso JF, Acrani GO, et al. Oropouche virus: clinical, epidemiological, and molecular aspects of a neglected Orthobunyavirus. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2017;96(5):1019-30.  https://doi.org/10.4269/ajtmh.16-0672  PMID: 28167595 
  29. Pan American Health Organization of the World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO). Epidemiological Alert Oropouche in the Region of the Americas - 9 May 2024. Washington DC: PAHO/WHO; 9 May 2024. Available from: https://www.paho.org/en/documents/epidemiological-alert-oropouche-region-americas-9-may-2024
  30. Pan American Health Organization of the World Health Organization. (PAHO/WHO. Alerta Epidemiológica Oropouche en la Región de las Américas — 1 de agosto del 2024. [Oropouche Epidemiological Alert in the Americas - August 1, 2024]. Washington DC: PAHO/WHO; 1 Aug 2024. Spanish. Available from: https://www.paho.org/es/documentos/alerta-epidemiologica-oropouche-region-americas-1-agosto-2024
  31. Lei C, Yang J, Hu J, Sun X. On the calculation of TCID50 for quantitation of virus infectivity. Virol Sin. 2021;36(1):141-4.  https://doi.org/10.1007/s12250-020-00230-5  PMID: 32458296 
  32. Macias A, Martín P, Pérez-Olmeda M, Fernández-Martínez B, Gómez-Barroso D, Fernández E, et al. West Nile virus emergence in humans in Extremadura, Spain 2020. Front Cell Infect Microbiol. 2023;13:1155867.  https://doi.org/10.3389/fcimb.2023.1155867  PMID: 37469597 
  33. European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). Threat assessment brief: Oropouche virus disease cases imported to the European Union. Stockholm: ECDC; 9 Aug 2024. Available from: https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/publications-data/threat-assessment-brief-oropouche-virus-disease-cases-imported-european-union
  34. Weidmann M, Rudaz V, Nunes MRT, Vasconcelos PFC, Hufert FT. Rapid detection of human pathogenic orthobunyaviruses. J Clin Microbiol. 2003;41(7):3299-305.  https://doi.org/10.1128/JCM.41.7.3299-3305.2003  PMID: 12843078 
  35. de Armas Fernández JR, Peña García CE, Acosta Herrera B, Betancourt Plaza I, Gutiérrez de la Cruz Y, Resik Aguirre S, et al. Report of an unusual association of Oropouche fever with Guillain-Barré syndrome in Cuba, 2024. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis. 2024;43(11):2233-7.  https://doi.org/10.1007/s10096-024-04941-5  PMID: 39276271 
  36. Bandeira AC, Pereira FM, Leal A, Santos SPO, Barbosa AC, Souza MSPL, et al. Fatal Oropouche virus infections in nonendemic region, Brazil, 2024. Emerg Infect Dis. 2024;30(11):2370-4.  https://doi.org/10.3201/eid3011.241132  PMID: 39269651 
  37. das Neves Martins FE, Chiang JO, Nunes BTD, Ribeiro BFR, Martins LC, Casseb LMN, et al. Newborns with microcephaly in Brazil and potential vertical transmission of Oropouche virus: a case series. Lancet Infect Dis. 2025;25(2):155-65.  https://doi.org/10.1016/S1473-3099(24)00617-0  PMID: 39423837 
  38. Garcia Filho C, Lima Neto AS, Maia AMPC, da Silva LOR, Cavalcante RDC, Monteiro HDS, et al. A case of vertical transmission of Oropouche virus in Brazil. N Engl J Med. 2024;391(21):2055-7.  https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMc2412812  PMID: 39476360 
  39. Schwartz DA, Dashraath P, Baud D. Oropouche virus (OROV) in pregnancy: an emerging cause of placental and fetal infection associated with stillbirth and microcephaly following vertical transmission. Viruses. 2024;16(9):1435.  https://doi.org/10.3390/v16091435  PMID: 39339911 
  40. Cola JP, Dos Santos APB, Zanotti RL, Dela Costa AEDS, Del Carro KB, Coelho LAL, et al. Maternal and fetal implications of Oropouche fever, Espírito Santo State, Brazil, 2024. Emerg Infect Dis. 2025;31(4):645-51.  https://doi.org/10.3201/eid3104.241986  PMID: 39992807 
  41. Cvjetković IH, Radovanov J, Kovačević G, Turkulov V, Patić A. Diagnostic value of urine qRT-PCR for the diagnosis of West Nile virus neuroinvasive disease. Diagn Microbiol Infect Dis. 2023;107(1):115920.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.diagmicrobio.2023.115920  PMID: 37390574 
  42. Castilletti C, Huits R, Mantovani RP, Accordini S, Alladio F, Gobbi F. Replication-competent Oropouche virus in semen of traveler returning to Italy from Cuba, 2024. Emerg Infect Dis. 2024;30(12):2684-6.  https://doi.org/10.3201/eid3012.241470  PMID: 39374598 
  43. Iglói Z, Soochit W, Munnink BBO, Anas AA, von Eije KJ, van der Linden A, et al. Oropouche virus genome in semen and other body fluids from traveler. Emerg Infect Dis. 2025;31(1):205-6.  https://doi.org/10.3201/eid3101.241452  PMID: 39661020 
  44. Deiana M, Malagò S, Mori A, Accordini S, Matucci A, Passarelli Mantovani R, et al. Full genome characterization of the first Oropouche virus isolate imported in Europe from Cuba. Viruses. 2024;16(10):1586.  https://doi.org/10.3390/v16101586  PMID: 39459919 
  45. European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). EU/EEA travellers advised to exercise caution when visiting Oropouche virus disease epidemic areas. Stockholm: ECDC; 9 Aug 2024. Available from: https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/news-events/eueea-travellers-advised-exercise-caution-when-visiting-oropouche-virus-disease
  46. de Mendonça SF, Rocha MN, Ferreira FV, Leite THJF, Amadou SCG, Sucupira PHF, et al. Evaluation of Aedes aegypti, Aedes albopictus, and Culex quinquefasciatus mosquitoes competence to Oropouche virus infection. Viruses. 2021;13(5):755.  https://doi.org/10.3390/v13050755  PMID: 33923055 
  47. Gallichotte E, Ebel G, Carlson C. Oropouche vector competence data. London: Figshare; 2 Oct 2024. Available from: https://figshare.com/articles/dataset/Oropouche_vector_competence_data/27157029/1
  48. Pereira TN, Carvalho FD, De Mendonça SF, Rocha MN, Moreira LA. Vector competence of Aedes aegypti, Aedes albopictus, and Culex quinquefasciatus mosquitoes for Mayaro virus. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2020;14(4):e0007518.  https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0007518  PMID: 32287269 
Case series of Oropouche fever among travellers returning from Cuba to Spain, 2024
<p class="citation"> <span>Citation style for this article:</span> <span class="meta-value authors"> <a href="/search?value1=Nuria+Labiod&option1=author&noRedirect=true" class="nonDisambigAuthorLink">Labiod Nuria</a>, <a href="/search?value1=M%C2%AA+Paz+S%C3%A1nchez-Seco&option1=author&noRedirect=true" class="nonDisambigAuthorLink">Sánchez-Seco Mª Paz</a>, <a href="/search?value1=Josune+Goikoetxea&option1=author&noRedirect=true" class="nonDisambigAuthorLink">Goikoetxea Josune</a>, <a href="/search?value1=Nelly+Daniela+Zurita&option1=author&noRedirect=true" class="nonDisambigAuthorLink">Zurita Nelly Daniela</a>, <a href="/search?value1=Francesca+F+Norman&option1=author&noRedirect=true" class="nonDisambigAuthorLink">Norman Francesca F</a>, <a href="/search?value1=Miguel+M+Mart%C3%ADnez&option1=author&noRedirect=true" class="nonDisambigAuthorLink">Martínez Miguel M</a>, <a href="/search?value1=Pedro+Alonso+Alonso&option1=author&noRedirect=true" class="nonDisambigAuthorLink">Alonso Pedro Alonso</a>, <a href="/search?value1=Araceli+Hern%C3%A1ndez-Betancor&option1=author&noRedirect=true" class="nonDisambigAuthorLink">Hernández-Betancor Araceli</a>, <a href="/search?value1=Marco+Antonio+Sempere-Alcocer&option1=author&noRedirect=true" class="nonDisambigAuthorLink">Sempere-Alcocer Marco Antonio</a>, <a href="/search?value1=Zaira+Moure&option1=author&noRedirect=true" class="nonDisambigAuthorLink">Moure Zaira</a>, <a href="/search?value1=Maria+Dolores+Ocete&option1=author&noRedirect=true" class="nonDisambigAuthorLink">Ocete Maria Dolores</a>, <a href="/search?value1=Maria+Rosario+Vicente&option1=author&noRedirect=true" class="nonDisambigAuthorLink">Vicente Maria Rosario</a>, <a href="/search?value1=Fernando+de+la+Calle-Prieto&option1=author&noRedirect=true" class="nonDisambigAuthorLink">de la Calle-Prieto Fernando</a>, <a href="/search?value1=Mikel+Gallego&option1=author&noRedirect=true" class="nonDisambigAuthorLink">Gallego Mikel</a>, <a href="/search?value1=Laura+Carde%C3%B1oso+Domingo&option1=author&noRedirect=true" class="nonDisambigAuthorLink">Domingo Laura Cardeñoso</a>, <a href="/search?value1=Juan+Carlos+Gal%C3%A1n&option1=author&noRedirect=true" class="nonDisambigAuthorLink">Galán Juan Carlos</a>, <a href="/search?value1=Daniel+Camprub%C3%AD-Ferrer&option1=author&noRedirect=true" class="nonDisambigAuthorLink">Camprubí-Ferrer Daniel</a>, <a href="/search?value1=Carlos+Meil%C3%A1n&option1=author&noRedirect=true" class="nonDisambigAuthorLink">Meilán Carlos</a>, <a href="/search?value1=Isabel+Perez-Hernandez&option1=author&noRedirect=true" class="nonDisambigAuthorLink">Perez-Hernandez Isabel</a>, <a href="/search?value1=Itxasne+Cabez%C3%B3n&option1=author&noRedirect=true" class="nonDisambigAuthorLink">Cabezón Itxasne</a>, <a href="/search?value1=Francisco+Javier+Hern%C3%A1ndez&option1=author&noRedirect=true" class="nonDisambigAuthorLink">Hernández Francisco Javier</a>, <a href="/search?value1=Enrique+Bernal&option1=author&noRedirect=true" class="nonDisambigAuthorLink">Bernal Enrique</a>, <a href="/search?value1=Ana+V%C3%A1zquez&option1=author&noRedirect=true" class="nonDisambigAuthorLink">Vázquez Ana</a>, <a href="/search?value1=on+behalf+of+the+Spanish-OROV+Study+Group&option1=author&noRedirect=true" class="nonDisambigAuthorLink">on behalf of the Spanish-OROV Study Group</a></span>. Case series of Oropouche fever among travellers returning from Cuba to Spain, 2024. <a href="/content/ecdc">Euro Surveill.</a> 2025;30(41):pii=2400719. <a href="https://doi.org/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2025.30.41.2400719" title="doi link" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2025.30.41.2400719</a> <span class="ES_Article_citation"> <span class="generated">Received</span>: 30 Oct 2024;&nbsp;&nbsp; <span class="generated">Accepted</span>: 22 May 2025 </span> </p>
/content/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2025.30.41.2400719
/content/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2025.30.41.2400719
Loading

Data & Media loading...

Supplementary data

Submit comment
Close
Comment moderation successfully completed
This is a required field
Please enter a valid email address
Approval was a Success
Invalid data
An Error Occurred
Approval was partially successful, following selected items could not be processed due to error