oruche virus is a zuntic disease that doctors say is transmitted by tiny flies called midges and mosquitoes it was originally discovered in Trinidad and Tobago in the 1950s and has mostly been in circulation in Central and South America but recently cases have been popping up in new places like Cuba Italy and Spain according to new research the virus can live in birds and primates and has been known to live in sloths as well infectious diseases expert Dr Isaac bogos explains people are most often infected through mosquito bites and then will have symptoms similar to Deni fever including muscle aches and pains headache high fever and sometimes a rash 500,000 cases of oruche have been recorded since the virus was first discovered which is a relatively small number for medical research so knowledge is limited however in July two young Brazilian women without any underlying health conditions died from the virus there are investigations underway into infections during pregnancy and potential birth defects and still births the number of reported cases both in endemic areas and in return Travelers is likely the tip of the iceberg this is likely going unnoticed especially in return Travelers who are ill they might have a for example a Denay test that returns as negative and people ultimately recover from this illness you've got to wonder how many cases have been imported to Canada and other parts of the world that have gone unnoticed Dr bogush says there is no no vaccine or treatment for oruche virus one of the best ways for people to protect themselves is to wear bug repellent when traveling abroad and to self-monitor for symptoms when coming home Katherine Ward Global News Toronto