CDC Issues Warming About the Oropouche Virus After Multiple Cases of "Sloth Fever" Were Reported

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) are sounding the alarm after multiple cases of Oropouche, or sloth fever, have been reported in the U.S. The virus — which is largely spread by insects and not sloths commonly infected with the virus — is now responsible for several deaths, prompting officials to warn Americans against traveling to certain areas.

Keep reading to learn more about sloth fever, including why you will want to pay especially close attention to this virus if you're currently expecting or planning to get pregnant.

The Opopouche virus is a condition that is spread by biting insects, like midges and mosquitoes, and a mild infection can cause symptoms like:

• Severe headache
• Nausea and vomiting
• Joint and muscle pain
• Skin rash
• Sensitivity to light
• Fever and chills

More serious cases will present with severe abdominal pain, meningitis, and even hemorrhagic symptoms. According to People, the virus has already resulted in two deaths in Brazil.

These conditions typically start within three to 10 days of exposure, according to NBC News affiliate Channel 4 in New York. Of those infected, about 60 percent will become symptomatic, and less than five percent will develop more serious complications from the virus.

There are no known medicines to treat sloth fever, which is why experts say that prevention is the top priority. This means avoiding travel to areas where infection is known to spread easily, which includes Cuba and Brazil.

8,000 cases have been reported worldwide as of August 2024, which is a massive jump from the 832 cases reported in 2023.

Those who are pregnant or trying to become pregnant should be especially vigilant since sloth fever has also been shown to cause birth defects and even fetal death. 

The good news is that in the U.S., cases have been limited to just two states so far. Florida has reported 20 new travel-related cases, with nine of them being confirmed during the week of August 18, and one case has been reported in New York, per Channel 4 New York.

For now, it seems like the threat to those who live and stay within the confines of the U.S. is relatively low since there doesn't appear to be any signs of human-to-human transmission to date. That said, the PAHO is issuing an advisory, telling folks that they are highly concerned by the changes happening with the virus, including the increase in cases outside of the areas where the virus had already become endemic.

In short, while it doesn't seem like Americans need to panic about the possibility they'll catch sloth fever on U.S. soil, it does sound like both the CDC and PAHO are warning that they expect to see the number of travel-related cases climb in the coming weeks, especially as people are returning from the last of their summer vacations.