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(Reuters) - The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a health alert on Friday to notify clinicians and public health authorities of an increase in Oropouche virus disease in the Americas region, which has caused two deaths so far this year.
Oropouche virus spreads through the bites of infected midges (small flies) and mosquitoes. Symptoms of the disease include headache, fever and muscle aches, with severe cases resulting in meningitis.
Between Jan. 1 and Aug. 1, more than 8,000 cases of the disease were reported, including the two deaths and five cases of vertical transmission where the virus transfers from parent to fetus during pregnancy, the CDC said.
Currently, there are no specific treatments or vaccines available for the disease.
Countries reporting cases include Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Colombia and Cuba, the CDC said, adding that travel-associated cases have been identified in the United States and Europe in people returning from Cuba and Brazil.
The health agency recommended testing and evaluation of travelers who have been in impacted areas with signs and symptoms consistent with Oropouche infection.
CDC expects cases from additional countries as testing and surveillance increase in the Americas.
(Reporting by Christy Santhosh in Bengaluru; Editing by Shilpi Majumdar)
