as of August 16th 2024 more than 21 people returning to the US from Cuba have been infected with a virus transmitted by bugs in recent months they all had oropo virus disease also known as sloth fever it was first discovered in Trinidad and Tobago in 1955 on the oropo river that it was named after and the virus has circulated in Latin America and the Caribbean since with sporadic outbreaks recorded in countries like Brazil and Peru it has sometimes been called sloth fever because scientists first investigating the virus founded in a three-toed sloth and believed sloths were important in its spread between insects and animals the virus is spread to humans by small biting flies called midges and by some types of mosquitoes humans have become infected while visiting forested areas and are believed to be responsible for helping the virus make its way to towns and cities but person-to-person transmission hasn't been documented beginning late last year the virus was identified as the cause of large outbreaks in Amazon regions where it was known to exist as well as in new areas in South America in the Caribbean about 8,000 locally acquired cases have been reported in Bolivia Brazil Colombia Cuba and Peru symptoms can seem similar to other tropical diseases like Deni zika or malaria fever headaches and muscle aches are common and some Infected people also suffer diarrhea nausea vomiting or rash some patients suffer recurring symptoms and one in 20 can suffer more severe symptoms like bleeding menitis and en sephtis there are no vaccines to prevent infections and no medicines available to treat the symptoms the best way to protect against the disease is to prevent bites from midges and mosquitoes in areas where the disease is known to occur such as using insect repellent IND door and window screens that wraps up today's video on the orao virus also known as sloth fever remember prevention is key protect yourself from insect bites to stay safe if you found this information helpful don't forget to like subscribe and share stay informed and stay safe see you in the next video