Abstract / Summary
Abstract Background Arthropod-borne viruses represent 39% of all pathogenic viruses identified in humans between 1897 and 2010 and are a major cause of vector-borne diseases. Oropouche virus, an arbovirus associated with acute febrile illness, was historically restricted to the Amazon basin until 2023, when a reassortant lineage expanded throughout Latin America. Since October 2023, this virus has caused a substantial outbreak across the Americas. Methods This study characterizes Oropouche fever cases diagnosed in Cuba in 2024, considering clinical and epidemiological variables. A retrospective longitudinal descriptive design was used. Results From epidemiological week (EW) 22 to EW 52 of 2024, 24,259 probable cases were reported (219.9 per 100,000 inhabitants). Of these, 23,633 were suspected cases (214.3 per 100,000) and 626 were confirmed cases, with a cumulative incidence of 5.7 per 100,000 inhabitants. The highest number of confirmed cases (74) occurred in EW 22, corresponding to an incidence of 0.7 per 100,000 inhabitants. All provinces and 124 municipalities (73.8%) reported confirmed cases. Most individuals were females. The age distribution showed a higher concentration among young adults, particularly those aged 20 to 39 years, who represented 25.5% of all cases. More than half of confirmed patients (55.6%) required home admission. A total of 119 confirmed cases presented neurological complications, representing 19.1% of all confirmed infections. Conclusions The emergence of OROV in Cuba in 2024 resulted in a nationwide outbreak characterized predominantly by mild clinical presentations, although neurological complications were relatively common. These findings highlight the rapid geographic expansion of OROV and underscore the need for strengthened surveillance and diagnostic capacity in the region.