Possibility of Invasion of Oropouche Virus (OROV) in Asia: A Real-Time Assessment is an Imperative Necessity

Oropouche orthobunyavirus (OROV), a viral pathogen from thePeribunyaviridae family, is emerging as a public health concern inSouth and Central America, particularly Brazil and Peru, since itsidentification in 1955 in South America. The virus is primarily transmittedby the midge Culicoides paraensis, though mosquitoes like Culexquinquefasciatus, Aedes aegypti, and Aedes albopictus might havethe potential to play roles as complementary and/ or maintenancevectors. OROV has been reported to have infected more than halfa million people to date and causes clinical symptoms viz. fever,headache, joint pain, and rash, similar to those of other endemicmosquito-borne diseases, thus presenting diagnostic dilemmas. Thedetection of OROV in the saliva and urine of infected individuals furtherhighlights its complex transmission dynamics. The reports of sloths andprimates serving as reservoir hosts in South America raise a warningbell regarding its potential adaptability to new hosts viz. rodents andbats if it gets introduced to Asia. Furthermore, the increasing globaltrade and travel threatens to enhance the possibility of the risk ofOROV for cross-continental transmission, which has been clearlyevidenced by the recent cases reported amongst travellers returningfrom South America to Europe and the United States. The diagnosticconfusion with other endemic mosquito-borne diseases like dengue andchikungunya, complicates its detection and the ensuing control efforts.The eco-climatic similarities between South America and SoutheastAsia strengthen the argument of the possible potential threat of OROVestablishing in Asia, especially India, where the suspected vector speciesof OROV might support its transmission. There is, thus, an imperativeneed for enhancing surveillance and monitoring, strengthening publichealth preparedness, and undertaking research to alleviate the emergingthreat of OROV in Asia. How to cite this article:Bhattacharya S, Chatterjee P, Tilak R. Possibilityof Invasion of Oropouche Virus (OROV) in Asia: AReal-Time Assessment is an Imperative Necessity.J Commun Dis. 2025;57(1):197-202. DOI: https://doi.org/10.24321/0019.5138.202525