Oropouche Virus Outbreak in Southeast, Brazil: Expanding Beyond the Amazonian Endemic Region
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The Oropouche virus (OROV), historically endemic to the Amazon, has spread to nearly all Brazilian states in 2024, with Espírito Santo emerging as a significant transmission hotspot in the Atlantic Forest biome. We characterized the epidemiological factors driving OROV spread in non-endemic Southeast Brazil, analyzing environmental and agricultural conditions contributing to viral transmission. Samples from 29,000 suspected arbovirus-infected patients were tested by RT-qPCR for Dengue, Chikungunya, Zika, Mayaro, and Oropouche virus. Between March and June 2024, OROV cases in the state reached 339, demonstrating successful local transmission.
Spatial analysis revealed that most cases clustered in municipalities with tropical climates and intensive cacao, robusta coffee, coconut, and pepper cultivation. Phylogenetic analysis identified the Espírito Santo OROV strains as part of the 2022-2024 Amazonian lineage. The rapid spread of OROV outside the Amazon highlights its adaptive potential and public health threat, emphasizing the need for enhanced surveillance and targeted control measures.
