MIAMI, United States. – Since the diagnosis of the first patients with Oropouche fever in Cuba in May of this year, the country has accumulated approximately 12,000 suspected cases of the disease, According to health authorities this week during a meeting with President Miguel Díaz-Canel.
During the meeting, scientists and experts stressed the urgent need to develop a rapid test to detect the virus, as diagnosis is currently only possible through blood tests.
“We are going to carry out strong entomological studies, because we need to know more about the vector,” said Ileana Morales, director of Science and Technological Innovation at Ministry of Public HealthHe also noted that the Pedro Kourí Institute of Tropical Medicine (IPK) is leading virological research to address this outbreak.
The last official figure on Oropuche fever on the island was given in August, when 506 cases were confirmed, although experts warn that the real number could be much higher. “We don’t know what resources Cuba has or doesn’t have to carry out tests on all people with symptoms. We also don’t know if they want to tell the truth,” epidemiologist Dadilia Garcés told Marti News.
Although there is no specific treatment for the virus, medications are required to alleviate symptoms in those infected, who mostly present with fever, muscle pain and other ailments.
On Tuesday it was revealed that Florida health authorities had confirmed a total of 70 cases of Oropouche fever in 2024, all related to recent travel to Cuba. According to a official note, Those affected visited the Island two weeks before developing symptoms.
The Florida Department of Health is urging citizens to protect themselves from mosquito and gnat bites, especially those planning to travel to endemic areas.
For his part, Garcés projection the importance of taking precautions. Although it is not considered a pandemic threat, the epidemiology specialist pointed out that doctors and authorities must be vigilant to prevent further spread. She added that in the Americas region, worrying cases have been reported, especially in young and pregnant women, with severe neurological and hemorrhagic symptoms, similar to those caused by the Zika virus.
Last August, the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) They issued an alert addressed to US citizens who were planning to travel to Cuba or who were already on the island due to the prevalence of Oropouche fever in the largest of the Antilles.
