Two cases of Oropouche fever were recently identified and confirmed in the state of São Paulo, the State Health Department reported this Thursday (1st). The diagnosis was made after the result of an RT-PCR test, which was carried out by the Adolfo Lutz Institute (IAL).
According to the department, the infections were detected in two residents of the municipality of Cajati, in the Ribeira Valley region. In both cases, the patients recovered from the disease.
The two women live in a rural area, close to a banana plantation, and had no history of traveling to other regions in the last 30 days, which suggests that they are autochthonous cases, contracted in the city itself or in the place where they live.
According to the Ministry of Health, Oropouche fever is transmitted mainly by a mosquito known as a sand fly or sand fly. After biting an infected person or animal, the insect remains with the virus for a few days. When the insect bites a healthy person, it can transmit it.
The symptoms of the disease are similar to those of dengue fever: severe headache, muscle pain, nausea and diarrhea. Prevention consists of avoiding contact with areas where the disease occurs or minimizing exposure to mosquito bites by wearing clothing that covers most of the body and applying repellent to exposed areas of the skin. It is also important to use screens on doors and windows and to clean land and areas where animals are raised.
