NPR A little-known virus is getting a lot of attention this year. It’s called Oropouche, and it’s been making headlines because of a notable increase in diagnoses.
So far in 2024 there have been over 10,000 cases, mainly in South America and the Caribbean. The vast majority are in Brazil. By contrast, the total Oropouche count in Brazil recorded between 2015 and 2022 was 261.
In August, PAHO, the Pan American Health Organization, issued an epidemiological alert urging for increased prevention, surveillance and diagnosis of the viral infection, which is spread by the bite of a mosquito or a midge (a kind of fly that bites humans).