New variant of oropouche is registered in more states with new mutations

On Friday (30), scientists identified a new variant of the oropouche virus (OROV), responsible for oropouche fever in the northern region of Brazil. In the new study, new mutations of the variant were discovered.

This virus had its first cases registered in the northern region and later spread to some states such as Bahia, Espirito Santo and Santa Catarina. In the midst of the studies that were carried out, new mutations were discovered.

^{Specialist explains about the fever and symptoms of the new virus (Video: reproduction/YouTube/CNN Brazil)}

New study

The new study published in the scientific journal The Lancet by researchers from the Fleury group and the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG) confirmed the existence of two new mutations of the variant in the same states. Some changes in the genome of this virus may have caused or contributed to its spread throughout the country, with the first cases that occurred leading to the death of some people.

This year, more than 7,800 cases of oropouche fever were recorded in 27 states, according to data from the Ministry of Health's Arbovirus Monitoring Panel. Compared to 2023, 831 cases of this disease were recorded in all northern states of the country (Acre, Amazonas, Rondônia and Roraima).

About the study

Regarding this new discovery made through a study, the information complemented what Fiocruz did on the genome that generated an outbreak of oropouche fever in the north of the country in 2022. What was mentioned by Fiocruz as a justification for the increase in the number of cases was due to a new lineage that emerged from OROV in Amazonas, between 2010 and 2014 and which, very silently, has been spreading over the last decade.

Mutations

The changes that occurred in the microorganism's mutations were dated between 2023 and 2024, after the outbreak of this virus. The mutations may have been caused by the unbridled spread of the virus, causing changes in the bacteria's genome.

According to studies, these changes ended up affecting the virus's DNA, and with this alteration, mutations were generated in this pathogen and there is some evidence that suggests that oropuche may have modified with another organism in its family: the Iquito virus and PEDV, which circulate in the Amazon and have the potential to infect human beings.

Featured photo: photo of a mosquito in contact with human skin (Reproduction/Bernard Lynch/Getty Images Embed)