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Oropouche fever outbreak advances in Brazil in 2025, with more than 2.700 cases. Learn about the symptoms, affected regions and prevention measures.
Brazil recorded 2.791 cases of Oropouche fever only in the first four weeks of 2025, according to data released by the Ministry of Health.
The state of Espírito Santo accounts for the majority of diagnoses, representing 95% of cases, followed by Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro.
The significant increase in the disease has worried experts and reinforced the warning about its expansion to urban areas.
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Oropouche Disease: A New Threat to Public Health
Oropouche fever is a disease caused by Oropouche virus (OROV), belonging to the genus Orthobunyavirus.
The first record of the virus in Brazil occurred in 1960, from a blood sample from a sloth captured during the construction of the Belém-Brasília highway.
Transmitted mainly by mosquitoes of the genus Culicoides (known as maruins), Oropouche fever presents symptoms similar to those of dengue, including high fever, body aches and intense headache.
In more severe cases, there may be neurological complications, such as aseptic meningitis and meningoencephalitis.
Affected regions and case monitoring
The 2025 outbreak has shown a worrying progress of the disease to different Brazilian states.
To date, the cases have been distributed as follows:
Espírito Santo: 2.652 cases;
Rio de Janeiro: 99 cases;
Minas Gerais: 30 cases;
Paraíba: 7 cases;
Ceará: 1 case;
Paraná: 1 case;
Roraima: 1 case.
The presence of Oropouche fever in historically unaffected regions reinforces the concern of health authorities regarding the spread of the virus to urban centers.
Symptoms and forms of transmission
Os symptoms Oropouche fever include:
Sudden onset of high fever;
Severe headache (cephalalgia);
Muscle and joint pain (myalgia and arthralgia);
Dizziness and chills;
Retroocular pain;
Photophobia (sensitivity to light);
Nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.
Although the disease generally has a benign course, more severe cases can occur, especially in immunosuppressed patients.
Recent studies indicate the possibility of transmission of the virus by other insect vectors, which increases the need for epidemiological surveillance.
Alert and preventive measures
The Ministry of Health had already issued a warning about Oropouche fever in May 2024, when there was a significant increase in cases in the North of the country.
At the time, diagnoses were concentrated in forest areas, such as Amazonas and Rondônia.
However, the expansion to states in the South and Southeast indicates a new epidemiological dynamic of the disease.
Furthermore, Bahia confirmed, in 2024, the first deaths in the world attributed to Oropouche fever.
The victims were two young women, without comorbidities, residing in the municipalities of Valença and Camamu.
To contain the spread of the disease, experts recommend measures similar to those used against dengue fever, such as eliminating insect breeding sites, using repellents and protecting against mosquito bites.
Worrying growth of the disease
Oropouche fever, once restricted to rural and forest areas, has spread rapidly, raising concerns about its urbanization.
The significant increase in cases in 2025 reinforces the need for awareness campaigns and investments in epidemiological surveillance.
Given this scenario, health authorities continue to monitor the evolution of the disease and reinforce strategies to avoid a large-scale epidemic.
The spread of Oropouche in Brazil demands increased attention, especially in states that had not been affected by the virus until now.
