A surge of infections from a tropical virus is raising alarm among public health officials because it appears to be causing birth defects similar to those associated with Zika virus. Known as Oropouche virus, it can trigger a fever that may cause pregnant people to miscarry or their babies to have birth defects known as microcephaly, or smaller than usual heads.
Disease caused by this virus currently has no treatment or vaccine, although most cases are generally asymptomatic or mild and resolve on their own. Epidemics of Oropouche fever have occurred multiple times in the past, with approximately 380,000 infections between 1961 and 2007. Last year, more than 16,000 cases were reported, including four deaths, with 8,600 cases in Brazil alone, many in places where the virus hadn’t been reported before. Over 100 of these cases traveled to the U.S, but there has been no local infections or transmission. All of this indicates that the virus is becoming more prevalent, posing greater risks to the public.
