Study on the Oropouche Virus Outbreak in Latin America Published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases
The study “The Spatiotemporal Ecology of Oropouche Virus across Latin America: a Multidisciplinary, Laboratory-Based Modelling Study”, co-authored by Fernando Bozza, researcher at CHRC-NMS, has been published in a high-impact scientific journal — The Lancet Infectious Diseases.
Latin America has been experiencing an Oropouche virus (OROV) outbreak of unprecedented magnitude and spread since 2023–24, for reasons that remain unknown, with a significant impact on public health. The study also suggests that climatic conditions play a key role in the transmission of the virus.
The aim of this research was to identify risk predictors and areas at risk for OROV transmission. The research team analysed over 9,400 blood samples collected from both healthy and ill individuals in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Peru between 2001 and 2022.
Antibodies against the Oropouche virus — indicating prior infection — were found in approximately 6% of samples across all regions. However, researchers observed significant regional differences: antibodies were present in an average of 2% of samples from Costa Rica, 5% from Ecuador, and over 10% in samples from the Amazon region. Individuals living at higher altitudes were less likely to have had a prior Oropouche infection than those living in warmer, low-altitude areas.
The publication also led to a podcast interview in which the researchers — including Fernando Bozza — discuss the implications of the virus’s spread in Latin America.
Podcast links:
Spotify link - https://open.spotify.com/episode/3CVb9V9l4pWI9ItrQ8a9Dk?si=27c96eb5f9154331
TLID homepage: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/home
Access to the publication here: http://www.doi.org/10.1016/S1473-3099(25)00110-0