Cuba's Oropouche Outbreak Causes Concerns for Pregnant Women

The U.S. CDC announced an essential update to its Level 2 travel advisory regarding the ongoing Oropouche virus outbreak in Cuba.

As of October 25, 2024, the CDC confirmed multiple cases of Oropouche have recently been reported in U.S. travelers returning from Cuba, indicating there is a detectable risk of infection.

The CDC recently confirmed 91 cases from five states, led by cities along Florida's southeast coast.

The CDC has also issued a Level 1 Travel Health Notice for Oropouche outbreaks in the Region of the Americas, such as in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guyana, and Peru.

From the beginning of the year to early October, 10,275 confirmed cases of Oropouche were reported in nine countries in the Region.

Historically, Oropouche has been confirmed to spread to people following a bite of infected midges (small flies) and mosquitoes.

Recently, Oropouche virus has been found in semen, but it is unknown if it can be spread through sex, says the CDC.

Additionally, pregnant women should reconsider non-essential travel to Cuba since there are concerns about an increase in possible cases of the Oropouche virus being passed from a pregnant person to their fetus associated with fetal deaths and congenital abnormalities. 

Since no Ocopouche vaccines are available, the CDC says travelers to Cuba should prevent bug bites during travel to protect themselves from infection.