Outbreak of Oropouche virus in Brazil should be a ‘wake-up call’, say experts

Spread by midges and mosquitoes, cases of the Oropouche virus have increased in Brazil amid warnings that it ‘has the potential to emerge as a substantial threat’. Photograph: Sergey YAkovlev/Alamy

The deaths of two young women, miscarriages and birth defects in Brazil have been linked to Oropouche virus, a little-known disease spread by midges and mosquitoes.

A surge in cases has been recorded in the country this year – 7,284, up from 832 in 2023. Many have been recorded in areas that have not previously seen the virus.