What is Oropouche Fever?

About Oropouche fever: 

• It is an emerging zoonotic arboviral disease caused by the Oropouche Virus (OROV). 
• It was first discovered in Trinidad and Tobago in 1955.
• Transmission
  • It is spread to humans through the bite of an infected midge (often through the bite of the Culicoides paraensis midge) or mosquito.
  • Factors such as urbanization, deforestation, and climate change contribute to the proliferation of its vector, escalating the risk of transmission.
  • There is no evidence of human-to-human transmission of the disease — to date.
• Symptoms
  • Symptoms of the disease are similar to dengue and typically start between four and eight days after the bite.
  • The onset is sudden, and symptoms usually include fever, headaches, pain, chills, joint stiffness and sometimes nausea and vomiting.
• Treatment
  • There are no vaccines and specific treatment for Oropouche fever.
  • Medical care aims to control the symptoms and help with recovery.

Q1: What are Viruses?

They are non-cellular entities with genetic material enclosed in a protein coat called capsid. The viral genome is usually either RNA or DNA. Outside the host, viruses remain inert. But once inside host cells, they utilise the cell machinery to make copies of themselves, often destroying the host cell.

Source: Death in Brazil: What is Oropouche fever?

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