Oropouche Virus Outbreak Threatens the Americas

While most health ministries seldom discussed the Oropouche virus disease before 2025, it was first discovered in 1955 and has been reported in parts of South America, Central America, and the Caribbean. Starting in late 2023, outbreaks of Oropouche were reported.

This under-reporting may be attributable to Oropouche infections being mistaken for other arboviruses such as chikungunya, dengue, Zika viruses, and malaria.

To alert international travelers, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Pan American Health Organization have issued various Travel Health Advisories that identify where the virus is spread to people by midges (small flies) and mosquitoes.

Travelers who develop a high fever, headache, muscle aches, stiff joints, nausea, vomiting, chills, or sensitivity to light during or within two weeks after travel should consult a healthcare provider, according to the CDC.

As of September 10, 2025, the CDC's Level 1 - Practice Usual Precautions advisory identified four countries where this virus has reached outbreak status: Brazil, Cuba, Panama, and Peru.

In Brazil, almost 12,000 cases and five related fatalities have been reported in 2025.

The recent expansion of the virus into previously non-endemic areas and the identification of vertical transmission have raised concerns about the broader threat this virus represents to the United States, according to the CDC.

In the U.S., over Oropouche cases have been reported from seven states (Florida) among travelers returning to the USA from Cuba.

The CDC recently wrote that while it is unknown if Oropouche can be spread by sex, travelers and their partners concerned about that possibility can consider using condoms or not having sex during travel and for six weeks after returning from travel.

If travelers are pregnant, they should consult with their healthcare provider to discuss their travel plans and potential risks.

As a disease prevention option, no vaccines are available in September 2025 to protect people from this disease.