The Robert Koch Institute advises travelers to Central and South America to take precautions against mosquito bites, particularly pregnant women, who face serious risks associated with Oropouche infections.

Concerns have been heightened due to reports of two deaths and several cases of miscarriage or malformations linked to infections during pregnancy, although the virus appears to cause harm less frequently than the Zika virus.

Since late 2023, annual infections of the Oropouche virus have surged to over 20,000, with environmental factors like rainfall and temperature believed to contribute to this increase.

Germany has reported several cases of Oropouche fever, with the first instances among travelers in 2024 and additional cases in 2025, indicating the virus's spread beyond its tropical origins.

The Oropouche virus, which causes symptoms similar to dengue and Zika, has been found to have a broader distribution across Latin America, according to a study conducted by researchers at Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin.

Oropouche fever, a serious illness that can be deadly, is spreading more widely, raising significant public health concerns.

Symptoms of Oropouche virus include headaches, muscle and joint pain, nausea, diarrhea, and sometimes rashes, making diagnosis challenging, and severe cases can lead to fatalities.

There are notable regional variations in exposure rates, with approximately 2% in Costa Rica, 5% in Ecuador, and over 10% in the Amazon regions, as reported in 'The Lancet Infectious Diseases'.

The primary area of distribution for the Oropouche virus is the Amazon rainforest, but there are also significant risks in Central America, the Caribbean, and certain regions of Brazil.

The German Foreign Office has recommended that pregnant women reconsider traveling to areas affected by the outbreak due to the potential for birth defects and complications.

Recent research indicates that the Oropouche virus is more prevalent in Latin America than previously understood, with a study revealing that 6.3% of over 9,400 blood samples tested positive for antibodies against the virus.

The study led by Prof. Jan Felix Drexler highlights that in some areas, at least one in ten people may have had prior infections, indicating significant under-diagnosis of the virus.