Canada Issues Travel Advisory Due to Oropouche Virus Outbreaks in Cuba, South America

The Oropouche virus disease is spread to humans through the bite of an infected small fly called a midge or via certain mosquitos, according to the World Health Organization. mycteria/Shutterstock

The Canadian government is warning pregnant women to consider the potential risks before travelling to certain countries in the Americas in response to ongoing outbreaks of an insect-transmitted virus in popular tourist destinations like Cuba.

The Oropouche virus is known to circulate in Central and South America as well as the Caribbean, according to The World Health Organization (WHO). More than 8,000 confirmed cases of Oropouche fever had been reported in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, and Peru as of late July.

Ottawa has been advising travellers going to the Americas to take necessary health precautions to protect themselves from the virus since June, but updated the advisory Sept. 3. The now Level 1 advisory to “practise health precautions” contained a special warning for expectant mothers.

The advisory noted that the Oropouche virus can be transmitted from a pregnant woman to her unborn baby “with negative pregnancy outcomes, including stillbirth and possibly congenital microcephaly (impaired head/ brain development).”

While human-to-human transmission of the virus has yet to be documented, the WHO said cases of vertical transmission—where a virus passes between mother and baby in utero—have been recorded in Brazil.

Four cases of stillbirth and one case of spontaneous abortion as well as four cases of newborns with microcephaly had been recorded as of July 30.

The Oropouche virus disease is spread to humans through the bite of an infected small fly called a midge or via certain mosquitos, the WHO says. The virus is thought to be carried by certain primates, sloths, and birds in the wild and is often mistaken for Dengue fever, a viral infection that spreads from mosquitoes to people.

There are no vaccines to prevent the Oropouche virus, which typically manifests between three and eight days after a bite from an infected insect, the travel advisory says. The most common symptoms include fever, severe headache, chills, muscle pain, and joint pain but some people may also experience nausea, dizziness, vomiting, sensitivity to light, pain behind the eyes, and a rash.

In rare cases, the virus can cause hemorrhaging or severe illness, such as meningitis or encephalitis, which causes inflammation of the brain.

Advice for Travellers

Ottawa is urging all travellers, particularly pregnant women, to follow the guidelines laid out in the advisory, including bug bite prevention recommendations and to “discuss the risks of their travel plans with their health-care provider.”

Travellers should consult their physician provider at least six weeks before they travel “to get personalized health advice and recommendations,” the advisory says.

Precautions to prevent insect bites include using an approved insect repellent on exposed skin and limiting outdoor activities in the afternoon when midges are most active and in the evening when mosquitoes are active.

The notice also advises travellers to avoid insect bites by wearing approved insecticide-treated clothing or covering up with light-coloured, loose-fitting clothing when outdoors, staying in locations with properly screened windows and doors, and using mosquito netting when sleeping in an unenclosed area.