see which mosquitoes transmit the disease

On April 26, the State Department of Health and the Municipal Health Department of Botuverá confirmed three cases of Oropouche Fever in the municipality of Médio Vale do Itajaí. In addition to the maruim, there is another mosquito that contributes to the transmission of the disease.

Oropouche fever: in addition to the maruim, another mosquito is involved in transmitting the disease – Photo: PMSJ/Reproduction/ND

According to the director of Dive (Epidemiological Surveillance Directorate) of Santa Catarina, João Augusto Brancher Fuck, the culex quinquefasciatus mosquito, commonly found in urban areas, may be involved in the spread of fever.

“These are mosquitoes that, unlike aedes aegypti, reproduce in places with organic matter, so vector control is more difficult if we do not have the exact location to control this mosquito. So, at this moment, the advice for people is to keep their backyard clean, maintain personal protection measures, screens on windows and use repellents to avoid mosquito bites”, he highlighted.

João also emphasizes the guidelines for the residents of Botuverá, so that they can continue to be monitored by the city’s health service.

Survey will identify which vectors are involved in the transmission of the disease

The director of Dive comments that an entomological survey will be carried out to identify whether there is more than one vector that could be involved in the transmission of Oropouche Fever in Botuverá.

The collection of these vectors will be carried out in the places where cases were identified, in order to better understand the dynamics of disease transmission.

“It is worth highlighting that cases of Oropouche have been identified in other states, because this is not just a reality in Santa Catarina. We had a decentralization of diagnosis in central public health laboratories, so that we were able to monitor the situation from this year 2024 onwards”, explained João.

According to the director, although Oropouche Fever is an old disease, with the first diagnoses starting in the 1960s, until then the cases were concentrated in the Northern region of Brazil.

Symptoms of Oropouche Fever

According to the Ministry of Health, Oropouche Fever resembles the symptoms of other diseases, such as dengue fever. Both diseases can present similar symptoms, such as fever, body and joint pain, headache and fatigue.

However, there are specific differences in the symptoms and course of the disease, and differential diagnosis is made based on specific tests for each virus.

Treatment

According to the Ministry of Health, Oropouche Fever is a disease caused by an arbovirus.

There is no specific treatment, but the patient must remain at rest and receive medical supervision.

Common analgesics and antipyretics may be prescribed to alleviate symptoms, which are very similar to those of dengue.

Disease transmission

The disease is not transmitted through the bite of Aedes aegypti (dengue fever) but rather through other mosquitoes, especially Culicoides paraensis, known as maruim.

After biting an infected person or animal, the virus remains in the mosquito’s blood for a few days. If a healthy person is bitten by an infected mosquito, they can contract the virus.

They proliferate mainly during periods of heat in humid environments, such as in areas close to mangroves, lakes, swamps and rivers.

But they are not restricted to rural areas, being present in urban spaces with availability of water and organic matter, especially close to vegetable gardens, gardens and trees.

Furthermore, Culex quinquefasciatus, one of the species popularly called mosquito, can also act as a vector.

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