Oropouche: Integrative review on the implications of vertical transmission in a human host
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33448/rsd-v14i2.48219Keywords:
Bunyaviridae Infections; Infectious Disease Transmission Vertical; Disease Vectors.Abstract
The Oropouche virus is an emerging arbovirus, although not recent, that typically causes mild symptoms similar to dengue, such as headaches, muscle pain, nausea, and rashes. However, in 2024, there were reported cases of Oropouche fever in Brazil where the virus was transmitted during pregnancy, resulting in fetal death and a miscarriage in the state of Pernambuco. It is important to note that not only fetal death may be associated with this infection, but also potential neurological effects, analogous to those caused by Zika virus infection. This integrative review aimed to gather information on vertical transmission in cases of Oropouche virus infection and synthesize data still under investigation in Brazil. The materials for this research were obtained from the PubMed and BVS databases using the descriptors “Oropouche Virus” and “Vertical Transmission,” focusing on articles in English or Portuguese from 2015 to 2025. This review found no specific studies addressing the implications of vertical transmission of the Oropouche virus during pregnancy, highlighting the need for further research on this topic, as the occurrence of such cases in the country raises health concerns. Thus, the significance of virology studies is evident, as they can help analyze the consequences of this disease and prevent potential epidemics like that of Zika.
References
Akingbola, A., Adegbesan, A., Ojo, O., Ezendu, A., & Shekoni, M. (2024). The rising concern of Oropouche fever: a call for enhanced surveillance and research in emerging arboviral threats. Infectious diseases (London, England), 56(11), 1015–1019. https://doi.org/10.1080/23744235.2024.2406404
Anima. (2014). Manual revisão bibliográfica sistemática integrativa: a pesquisa baseada em evidências. Grupo Anima. https://biblioteca.cofen.gov.br/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/manual_revisao_bibliografica-sistematica-integrativa.pdf.
Brickley, E. B., Miranda-Filho, D. B., Ximenes, R. A. A., & MERG, ZBC-Consortium, and LIFE Zika Study members (2024). Preparing for the rapid research response to the possible vertical transmission of Oropouche virus: lessons from a decade of congenital Zika research. The Lancet. Infectious diseases, 24(12), e725–e726. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1473-3099(24)00618-2
Ceccarelli, G., Branda, F., Scarpa, F., Ciccozzi, M., Alcantara, L. C. J., & Giovanetti, M. (2025). Oropouche virus infection: Differential clinical outcomes and emerging global concerns of vertical transmission and fatal cases. International journal of infectious diseases : IJID : official publication of the International Society for Infectious Diseases, 150, 107295. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijid.2024.107295
Crossetti, M. G. O. (2012). Revisión integrativa de la investigación en enfermería, el rigor científico que se le exige. Revista Gaúcha de Enfermagem, 33(2), 10–11. https://doi.org/10.1590/s1983-14472012000200002
Diniz, D., Brito, L., Griner, A., Kingori, P., & Ogden, R. (2025). Additional lessons to prepare for rapid research response to possible vertical transmission of Oropouche virus in Brazil. The Lancet. Infectious diseases, 25(1), e9. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1473-3099(24)00770-9
Feitoza, L. H. M., Gasparelo, N. W. F., Meireles, A. C. A., Rios, F. G. F., Teixeira, K. S., da Silva, M. S., Paz, M. A., Roca, T. P., Moreira, H. M., de França, K. P., Dall'Acqua, D. S. V., Julião, G. R., & de Medeiros, J. F. (2025). Integrated surveillance for Oropouche Virus: Molecular evidence of potential urban vectors during an outbreak in the Brazilian Amazon. Acta tropica, 261, 107487. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actatropica.2024.107487
Gutierrez, B., Wise, E. L., Pullan, S. T., Logue, C. H., Bowden, T. A., Escalera-Zamudio, M., Trueba, G., Nunes, M. R. T., Faria, N. R., & Pybus, O. G. (2020). Evolutionary Dynamics of Oropouche Virus in South America. Journal of virology, 94(5), e01127-19. https://doi.org/10.1128/JVI.01127-19
Mattos, P. C. (2015). Tipos de revisão de literatura. Unesp, 1-9. https://www.fca.unesp.br/Home/Biblioteca/tipos-de-evisao-de-literatura.pdf.
Moutinho, S. (2024). Little-known virus surging in Latin America may harm fetuses. Science (New York, N.Y.), 385(6707), 355. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.adr9690
Neves Martins, F. E., Chiang, J. O., Nunes, B. T. D., Ribeiro, B. F. R., Martins, L. C., Casseb, L. M. N., Henriques, D. F., de Oliveira, C. S., Maciel, E. L. N., Azevedo, R. D. S., Cravo, L. C. C., Barreto, A. R. F., Pessoa, A. L. S., Filho, A. J. M., de Sousa, J. R., Schuler-Faccini, L., Quaresma, J. A. S., da Costa Vasconcelos, P. F., & da Silva Azevedo, R. D. S. (2024). Newborns with microcephaly in Brazil and potential vertical transmission of Oropouche virus: a case series. The Lancet. Infectious diseases, S1473-3099(24)00617-0. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1473-3099(24)00617-0
Pastula, D. M., Beckham, J. D., & Tyler, K. L. (2024). Oropouche Virus: An Emerging Neuroinvasive Arbovirus. Annals of neurology, 10.1002/ana.27139. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1002/ana.27139
Pereira, A. S., Shitsuka, D. M., Parreira, F. J., & Shitsuka, R. (2018). Metodologia da pesquisa científica. In repositorio.ufsm.br. Brasil. https://repositorio.ufsm.br/handle/1/15824
Pereira, T. N., Virginio, F., Souza, J. I., & Moreira, L. A. Emergent arboviruses: a review about Mayaro virus and Oropouche orthobunyavirus. Front. Trop. Dis. 2021 Nov; 2:737436. doi:10.3389/fitd.2021.737436.
Plourde, A. R., & Bloch, E. M. (2016). A Literature Review of Zika Virus. Emerging infectious diseases, 22(7), 1185–1192. https://doi.org/10.3201/eid2207.151990
Romero-Alvarez, D., & Escobar, L. E. (2018). Oropouche fever, an emergent disease from the Americas. Microbes and infection, 20(3), 135–146. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.micinf.2017.11.013
Samara, A., Coutinho, C. M., Veal, P., Osborne, J., Duarte, G., Ladhani, S., & Khalil, A. (2024). Potential vertical transmission of Oropouche virus during the current outbreak. The Lancet. Infectious diseases, 24(11), e668–e669. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1473-3099(24)00571-1
Schwartz, D. A., Dashraath, P., & Baud, D. (2024). Oropouche Virus (OROV) in Pregnancy: An Emerging Cause of Placental and Fetal Infection Associated with Stillbirth and Microcephaly following Vertical Transmission. Viruses, 16(9), 1435. https://doi.org/10.3390/v16091435
Secretaria de Saúde de São Paulo. (2024). Care for newborns with suspected or confirmed vertical transmission by OROV: epidemiology. Bvsalud.org. https://pesquisa.bvsalud.org/portal/resource/pt/biblio-1572182
Taylor, L. (2024). Oropouche fever: Latin America on high alert for virus that can cause stillbirths. BMJ (Clinical research ed.), 386, q1667. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.q1667
Tilston-Lunel, N. L. (2024). Oropouche Virus: An Emerging Orthobunyavirus. The Journal of general virology, 105(9), 002027. https://doi.org/10.1099/jgv.0.002027
The Lancet Infectious Diseases. (2024). Oropouche fever, the mysterious threat. The Lancet Infectious Diseases. https://doi.org/10.1016/s1473-3099(24)00516-4
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Hellyângela Maria da Silva Chaves; Kayllane Kelssiney da Silva; Maria Renata da Silva Santos; Ana Lisa do Vale Gomes
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
1) Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
2) Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
3) Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work.
