QCOSTARICA — Costa Rica is making progress in its preparation to deal with the possible Oropuche fever. According to the Ministry of Health, as part of these measures, the National Guideline for the Surveillance of Oropouche Fever was developed.
“It is already in the process of being disseminated among the key institutions of the health system,” the ministry indicated.
Precisely during the first week of December, a training course was held for health surveillance personnel in local and border regions.
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This training included officials from the Ministry of Health and the Costa Rican Social Security Fund (CCSS), with a special focus on strengthening epidemiological surveillance in strategic areas.
Among the topics discussed, the following stand out:
- Case notification according to the Health Surveillance Regulations
- Laboratory surveillance
- Clinical management of patients
- Vector control
“The training brought together 193 participants from both institutions, who cleared up doubts about the handling of laboratory samples to confirm cases and vector control in communities. Preventive measures to apply in case of detecting infections in the country were also discussed,” said the Ministry of Health.
Oropouche Fever
Oropouche fever, also known as Oropouche virus disease, is a tropical viral infection that causes a febrile illness.
- Symptoms: Fever, headache, chills, muscle aches, joint pains, nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light, and confusion
- Transmission: Spread to humans through the bites of infected midges and some mosquitoes such as the Culicoides paraensis (also known as sand fly, jején, or purruja), and Culex quinquefasciatus (widely distributed in Costa Rica)
- Location: Most commonly found in South America and the Caribbean, but has been reported in Central America as well
- Treatment: There is no specific treatment or vaccine for Oropouche fever, but management focuses on symptomatic relief
- Recovery: Most people recover quickly and without long-term effects
- Prevention: The best way to protect yourself is to prevent bug bites
Cases
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The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) – the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for the Americas – issued an epidemiological alert due to an increase in cases caused by the Oropuche virus.
“Since the last epidemiological alert was issued on September 6, 423 additional cases of oropouche have been reported, including from two countries (Ecuador and Guyana) that had not previously reported cases,” said PAHO in its latest report.
According to PAHO data, between the beginning of the year and the beginning of October, 10,275 confirmed cases have been reported in nine countries in the region.
Brazil recorded the majority of cases (8,258 cases, including two deaths).
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Other affected countries include:
- Bolivia
- Colombia
- Cuba
- Ecuador
- Guyana
- Peru
In addition, imported cases have been reported in the United States (90 cases) and Canada (2 cases), related to travel to countries with transmission.
Also, 30 imported cases have been reported in Europe.
Transmission
This disease is transmitted to humans mainly through the bite of:
- Culicoides paraensis mosquito (also known as sand fly, jején, or purruja).
- Mosquitoes such as Culex quinquefasciatus (widely distributed in Costa Rica).
According to Carlos Jiménez, a virologist from the School of Veterinary Medicine at the National University (UNA), the incubation period for the disease in humans occurs from three to 10 days after being bitten and will vary depending on the number of doses of the virus inoculated.
“The symptoms are associated with nonspecific fever, general malaise, headache, muscle and joint pain. In some cases, skin rashes, mouth and nose bleeding, but it rarely leads to meningitis and encephalitis,” said Jiménez.
If you develop symptoms of Oropouche fever after traveling, you should contact your health care provider and let them know where you’ve been. Fever and other symptoms can be similar to many other infections, including malaria, so it’s important to let them know if you’ve traveled to an area where malaria is common.
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