9 things to know about sloth fever

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Sloth Fever, or Oropouche virus, has recently had cases of the virus in the United States, including Florida.

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Here are 9 things to know about sloth fever according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:

Read: CDC issues warning over ‘sloth fever,’ 2 cases reported in Orange County

The virus was first detected in 1955 in Trinidad and Tobago and is endemic in the Amazon basin.
The virus gets the name “Sloth Virus” as the virus is transmitted between mosquitoes and non-human-vertebrate hosts such as sloths.
Oropouche virus disease typically presents as an abrupt onset of fever, severe headache, chills, myalgia, and arthralgia.
Clinical presentation is commonly mistaken for other arboviruses such as dengue, chikungunya, and Zika viruses, and malaria.
There are no vaccines to prevent or medicines to treat Oropouche.

CDC issues warning over ‘sloth fever,’ 2 cases reported in Orange County The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued a warning about what’s called “sloth fever” or “sloth virus.” (WFTV)

The incubation period for Oropouche virus disease is 3–10 days.
Symptoms typically last less than a week (2–7 days), however, in up to 60% of patients, symptoms can reoccur a few days or even weeks later.
Prevention relies on personal protective measures to avoid bites.
Treatment for symptoms can include rest, fluids, and use of analgesics and antipyretics.

Read: ‘It could be a health threat’: Officials warn about dengue, sloth fever in Orange County

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