Brazil recently reported the world's first deaths from the Oropouche virus - transmitted by mosquitoes and midges, in Bahia. Experts say the virus, like dengue, has spread across South and Central Americas and lacks specific treatments. According to Brazil’s health ministry, two women under 30 years of age from the state of Bahia have become the first known people to have died from the virus. The two did not have any comorbidities, and their symptoms were similar to those of severe dengue fever.

Authorities say they are also investigating whether another death in Santa Catarina state, in the south of the country, is linked to the disease. They are also examining whether four cases of miscarriage and two cases of microcephaly in babies are related to Oropouche fever in Pernambuco, Bahia, and Acre.

Since January, more than 7,200 cases of the illness have been recorded across 20 states, most of which are in Amazonas and Rondônia, states in the Brazilian Amazon, the ministry says. Since 2023, diagnostic tests have been available in public healthcare facilities countrywide. As a result, cases are also being identified throughout Brazil.

Experts say the Oropouche virus causes a high fever and is transmitted mainly by the Culicoides paraenses mosquito, locally known as maruim. The symptoms of the fever are similar to those of dengue and Chikungunya. According to scientists, the virus was first isolated in Brazil in 1960, and since then, many cases and outbreaks have been reported, mainly in the Amazon region. Reports were also made in other Central and South American countries, such as Panama, Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela.

Since there is no specific treatment for the disease, authorities are making efforts to prevent mosquitoes from spreading the disease.

A few signs and symptoms of the virus include:

• High fever
• Muscle aches
• Stiff joints
• Headache
• Vomiting and nausea
• Chills or sensitivity to light

Doctors say severe cases result in life-threatening complications like meningitis. However, there are no specific treatments or vaccines for the virus and the best protection is to avoid getting bitten by midges and mosquitoes when in an affected area. That includes covering up legs and arms and using strong bug repellent and fine-mesh mosquito nets, since midges can get through traditional nets, according to experts.

Even though a recent Lancet review earlier this year called the virus “a prototypical neglected disease”, scientists say the virus has the potential to emerge as a substantial threat" given its potential to spread widely and cause serious health problems. Compared to other viruses in its family, such as dengue and chikungunya, the virus is understudied and little understood.

The review Castilletti's laboratory detected the first two cases ever recorded in Europe, in two unrelated passengers who returned to Italy from a trip to Cuba earlier this year.