30 confirmed cases of Oropouche virus in Florida. Here's what you need to know.
MIAMI - A little-known disease spread by insect bites has turned deadly and health officials are sounding the alarm.
More than 8,000 cases of the Oropouche virus have been reported this year, and health officials told CBS Miami that there are 30 confirmed cases in Florida.
The Assembly of the Cuban Resistance, based in Miami, held a briefing on the widespread Oropouche virus in Cuba.
Cases of this virus, which is transmissible by mosquitoes, are now growing in Cuban communities and given the extensive back-and-forth travel between Cuba and South Florida, the Assembly of the Cuban Resistance is expressing concern.
"The Cuban resistance is extremely concerned about the sanitary conditions in Cuba as this virus has spread all over the island. There are a large number of people suffering from this virus," said members of the organization.
The CDC also issued a health advisory warning healthcare providers and public health authorities to be on the lookout for new cases.
Symptoms include sudden onset of fever, chills, headache, muscle pain, and joint stiffness. Other symptoms can include eye pain, light sensitivity, vomiting, diarrhea, fatigue, and rash.
In rare cases, the disease can infect the nervous system and cause meningitis and encephalitis.
"With this type of virus, you can get it again, and it can happen a second time within days or up to a week after the first episode," said Dr. Lyssette Cardona, an infectious disease and travel medicine expert with the Cleveland Clinic.
Dr. Lyssette Cardona said the virus spreads to people through insect bites, especially from biting midges, a type of tiny fly, and certain types of mosquitoes.
Dr. Cardona offers this advice to protect yourself. "Make sure you are protecting your skin from mosquitoes or insect bites with repellant or wearing long sleeves or long pants so that you prevent exposure to the bite."
This year also marks the first time that there have been deaths reported from the Oropouche virus and evidence that the disease can be transmitted from a pregnant woman to her fetus and cause adverse birth outcomes.
There is no vaccine to protect against the Oropouche virus, and there are no specific antiviral treatments available. And the CDC recommends that pregnant people reconsider nonessential travel to Cuba.