Clinical Characterization of Oropouche Fever in Cuban adult Patients, 2024

Abstract

Introduction: On May 27, the Cuban Ministry of Public Health reported an outbreak of Oropouche Fever (OF). This disease is caused by the Oropouche Virus (OROV), a member of the genus Orthobunyavirus of the family Peribunyaviridae.

Objectives: To characterize the clinic and main laboratory findings of 47 OF confirmed patients treated at the Pedro Kouri Institute (IPK).

Methods: Case series study of patients treated at the confirmed to have Oropouche Fever by PCR-RT. All patients were following up for 30 days.

Results: 47 cases were studied, 27 women (60%), 60% white skin and the average age of 47 years being the most affected the age group of 41-50 years. Fever (95.6%), headache (91.1%), asthenia (88.9%), arthralgia (84.4%), myalgia (75.6%), low back pain (73. 3%), anorexia (68.9%), retro-ocular pain (57.8%), nausea (55.6%), chills and sweating (51.1%), diarrhea and fatigue (44.4%), vertigo (37.8%), abdominal pain (33.3%), photophobia (28.9%) were the most frequent symptoms. Symptom relapses occurred in 37.8% of patients at mean day 16 (SD 4.76) after onset of symptoms. Leukopenia was found in 26 patients (47.27%). The platelet count was below 150 × 109/L in 14 (25.45%) at 7 days after the onset of symptoms and in 2 (4.44%) cases at 30 days. Serum transaminase levels above 40 U/L behaved as follows. ASAT 10 (22.22%) at 7 days and 16 (35.56%) at 30 days. ALAT 8 (53.33%) at 7 days and 13 (46.43%) at 30 days.

Conclusions: The duration of the disease is not well defined and relapses are frequent; some symptoms and signs are similar to Dengue but with characteristics that allow differences to be established. There were no serious cases, GBS or deaths in the series studied at the IPK.