- Expert: Oropouche is unlikely to spread in Europe
Expert on Mosquitoes Helge Kampen considers the risk of the Oropouche fever, which is prevalent in South America, spreading to Germany or other European countries, negligible. "There is no indication that native midges or biting mosquitoes could transmit the Oropouche virus," the scientist from the Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute (FLI) in Greifswald told the German Press Agency. Kampen is the head of the Institute of Infection Medicine at the FLI.
The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) recently reported the first two registered cases of Oropouche fever in Germany. Both cases involved individuals from Saxony and Baden-Württemberg who had returned from Cuba.
Pregnant women may want to avoid travel
There have been increased outbreaks of Oropouche fever in South and Central America since late 2022, according to the RKI. Brazil has already recorded over 7,000 laboratory-confirmed cases and at least two deaths associated with the virus. The RKI advises that pregnant women may want to avoid traveling to the current outbreak areas.
The RKI also considers the spread of the Oropouche virus in Germany very unlikely. The virus is mainly transmitted in Latin America by Culicoides paraensis, a small midge from the family of biting midges that does not exist outside of South America. According to biologist Kampen, the virus relies on so-called reservoir hosts, which are animal species that do not occur in Europe, such as certain monkey species or the sloth.
Take mosquito repellent to Brazil
Brazil is currently experiencing the largest nationwide dengue fever outbreak in its history, with nearly all states affected and 14 states declaring a health emergency, according to the Federal Foreign Office. In its travel and safety tips for the country, the Federal Foreign Office advises travelers to take mosquito repellent from Germany with them to Brazil.
If travelers bring dengue fever back, this virus could theoretically be further spread in Germany by the Asian tiger mosquito. However, there has not yet been a single known case of transmission of dengue fever or any other disease-causing agent by the tiger mosquito throughout Germany, said Kampen. The responsible health authorities of the states must nevertheless ensure that the population density of the insects is kept as low as possible.
"The tiger mosquito is a very flightless mosquito that hardly moves away from its location," said the researcher. Currently, there are particularly many populations in allotment gardens, with their spread usually being limited to small areas, according to Kampen.
Despite the ongoing dengue fever outbreak in Brazil, the spread of Oropouche virus in Germany is considered highly unlikely due to the absence of the necessary reservoir hosts and the Culicoides paraensis midge in Europe, as stated by expert Helge Kampen from The Netherlands' Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute.
Travelers to The Netherlands may find it beneficial to be aware of the current situation with mosquito-borne diseases in other parts of the world, as precautions can be taken when traveling to regions with higher risk, such as Brazil, where dengue fever is prevalent.
