Cases of the Oropouche virus (OROV) emerging in Europe have health officials on high alert.

As of the end of July, 19 cases had been reported with 12 in Spain, five in Italy and two in Germany, per the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.

The disease is typically spread through bites from mosquitoes and midges (small flies, particularly the Culicoides paraensis species), according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

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Since first emerging in Trinidad and Tobago in 1955, the Oropouche virus has had "limited circulation" in regions of South America, particularly in forested areas.

Three-toed sloths and birds have been identified as "natural reservoirs" for Oropouche, which means they act as hosts of the disease.

"The virus doesn't spread from person to person," Dr. Marc Siegel, senior medical analyst for Fox News and clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center, confirmed to Fox News Digital.

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On Aug. 1, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) issued an epidemiological alert urging countries to "strengthen surveillance and implement laboratory diagnosis for the identification and characterization of cases … potentially associated with OROV infection."

By the end of July, there were 8,078 confirmed cases of Oropouche virus in five countries, including Bolivia (356), Brazil (7,284, with two deaths), Colombia (74), Cuba (74) and Peru (290), as reported by the PAHO.

"Experts fear that if the current outbreak of Oropouche fever expands further, it could overwhelm South America's already stretched health care system," according to an article published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases on Aug. 8.

The PAHO’s alert also warned of cases of the virus in Brazil that were transmitted from pregnant women to their fetuses in Brazil.

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"These cases are under investigation," the CDC stated on its website, noting that the agency is working with PAHO and "other international partners" to assess potential risks the virus presents during pregnancy.

Siegel said, "There is some risk to the fetus in terms of birth defects."

OROV, which is classified as an arbovirus, is often mistaken for other similar viruses, like Zika, dengue, chikungunya and malaria, according to the CDC.

Symptoms of the virus include fever, headache, muscle aches, stiff joints and chills.

Some may develop a rash that begins on the torso and spreads to other body parts.

Symptoms usually begin within four to eight days of being bitten, and last for three to six days.

"Symptoms can abate and reoccur," Siegel noted.

In severe cases, patients may develop meningitis, encephalitis or other "neuroinvasive" diseases, the CDC stated.

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For those patients, symptoms can include intense headaches, dizziness, confusion, nausea, vomiting, light sensitivity, lethargy, stiff neck and involuntary eye movements. 

"Around 4% of patients develop [neurologic symptoms] after the first febrile illness," Siegel said.

Most people who contract Oropouche will recover on their own without any long-term effects, the CDC stated.

"There are no vaccines for prevention and no treatments," Siegel said.

The best means of prevention is to avoid bites from midges and mosquitoes, according to experts.

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"People are advised to take preventive measures, including the use of repellents, clothing that covers legs and arms, and fine mesh mosquito nets, and to take extra precautions during outbreaks, particularly for vulnerable groups such as pregnant women," the PAHO advised in its alert.

Supportive care can include rest, fluids and medications to reduce fever and alleviate pain.

"Patients who develop more severe symptoms should be hospitalized for close observation and supportive treatment," the agency stated.

There have been "very few" deaths reported from Oropouche, the CDC noted.

Those who are experiencing symptoms and have risk factors can contact their local health department for testing.

"Clinicians in these areas where importation has occurred may not be familiar with this infection and need to be alert to its possibility," Dr. Amesh Adalja, M.D., an infectious disease expert at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security in Baltimore, told Fox News Digital.

Fox News Digital reached out to the CDC for comment.

The World Health Organization’s emergency committee will meet next Wednesday to decide whether to trigger its highest alert level over an Mpox outbreak sweeping through several African countries.

The WHO said in a note to journalists that the closed virtual meeting will start at 1000 GMT Wednesday.

“The committee will provide me with its views on whether the outbreak constitutes a public health emergency of international concern,” WHO head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus wrote on X.

If that turns out to be the case they will advise on “how to better prevent and reduce the spread of the disease”, he added.

Formerly known as monkeypox, mpox is an infectious disease caused by a virus transmitted to humans by infected animals but can also be passed from human to human through close physical contact.

The disease causes fever, muscle aches and large boil-like skin lesions.

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is the country currently most affected by the latest outbreak, with 14,479 confirmed and suspected cases by August 3 and 455 deaths, according to the African Union’s health agency.

SOURCE: AFP

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After nearly a decade of keeping it under wraps, Olympic medalist Katie Ledecky has shared her POTS diagnosis with the world.

The athlete, who has won 14 Olympic medals for swimming, the most of any female Olympian, said she has POTS (postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome).

In "Just Add Water: My Swimming Life," Ledecky's new memoir, which was published by Simon & Schuster in June, she wrote that the disease can cause "dizziness, fainting and exhaustion."

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Here's more. 

POTS is a disturbance in the autonomic nervous system, which controls some of the normal regulatory functions of the body, according to Dr. Blair Grubb, a cardiologist and expert on POTS at The University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences.

"When the person stands, gravity will try to displace downward roughly 20% to 30% of the body's blood volume," he told Fox News Digital. 

In response to this displacement, the brain tells the heart to beat faster and more forcibly, and tells the blood vessels in the lower half of the body to tighten, or constrict, to three times the level they were previously, the doctor said.

"This allows for accumulation of much more blood than normal in the lower half of the body," Grubb said.

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As more blood is displaced downward, the brain gets less and less oxygen. 

Ledecky discussed this effect in her book. She wrote, "I pool blood in the vessels below my heart when I stand. My body then releases extra norepinephrine or epinephrine, which adds additional stressors on my heart, making it beat faster."

Individuals with a genetic trait called Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (also known as joint hypermobility syndrome) appear to be more susceptible to developing this condition, according to Grubb. 

"However, POTS is frequently triggered by a viral infection, such as Epstein-Barr virus or COVID-19," he told Fox News Digital.

One of these infections can trigger an autoimmune response, in which the body's immune system attacks itself and produces antibodies that interfere with the ability of blood vessels to tighten, the doctor said.

POTS can also occur on its own, without any obvious triggers.

A POTS patient’s symptoms will depend on how much blood is displaced downward, experts say.

"It can vary from mild cases where your heart races and you get a little dizzy upon standing, all the way to presenting as a disabling condition, disallowing patients from being upright," Valerie Iovine, PT, a physical therapist at Strive Physical Therapy in Philadelphia, told Fox News Digital.

"It can also change over the course of life, but can also change day to day or week to week."

The disorder’s name — postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome — literally translates to "when you become more upright, your heart races," noted Iovine, who treats many patients with POTS and also has the disorder herself.

"The heart will flutter in an attempt to properly oxygenate the brain," she said. 

"But in addition to the dizziness, headaches, passing out or near passing out, many with this disorder don't realize that it can account for other issues, like temperature dysregulation, blood pressure dysregulation and GI dysfunction."

In more extreme cases, patients may have difficulty thinking, concentrating or remembering — sometimes called brain fog, according to Grubb.

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People may also experience blurred vision, black spots in their visual field, tunnel vision and headache. 

"Even greater displacement of blood can cause the individual to lose consciousness," Grubb said.

The primary treatment for POTS is increasing water and salt intake, Grubb said. 

"It is also important to recondition the patient through exercise, building the strength in their lower extremities," he said.

Some medications, such as midodrine and droxidopa — known as vasoconstrictors — can work to tighten blood vessels and increase blood return to the heart, according to Grubb. 

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Still other drugs, such as fludrocortisone or desmopressin, work by increasing the volume of fluids available for the heart to pump. 

"Medications such as pyridostigmine facilitate nerve transmission and help the nervous system work more effectively to maintain normal vascular function," Grubb added.

Many often use the term "exercise intolerance" when describing symptoms of POTS, but Iovine said that "poorly prescribed and dosed exercise" is the problem.

"Exercise is the best management for POTS," she said.

"I would argue that for these patients, movement is medicine."

In her book, Ledecky noted that swimming can be an effective treatment for POTS, writing that "reclined aerobic exercise, such as swimming, and strengthening your core, can provide relief."

Seeking care from a cardiologist and a physical therapist is essential, according to Iovine.

The cardiologist can help to get vital signs like heart rate and blood pressure under control, she said, while a knowledgeable physical therapist can help to manage symptoms and increase upright tolerance. 

"Things like proper hydration, extra electrolytes, and being able to keep cool can also help manage symptoms," Iovine advised.

"The heat will make the blood vessels expand, making it harder to get the blood up the head against gravity," she said.

"POTS can be a challenge for anyone — from people with complicated pre-existing conditions, all the way to the top athletes, like Katie Ledecky," Iovine told Fox News Digital. 

The disease can often cause a flu-like feeling after exercise, something called post-exertional malaise/post-exertional symptom exacerbation (PEM/PESE). 

"This is when the autonomic nervous system can have a reflexive reaction to stress or exercise, either making existing symptoms worse or creating a new host of issues in people with POTS," Iovine said. 

"This can pose an issue in the sense of rigorous exercise for an Olympic athlete — or in other cases, exertion may be as simple as getting out of bed and walking to the kitchen."

POTS causes a "dynamic disability," Iovine noted.

"One day, it may allow you to swim like an Olympic athlete, and other days, [it will] have you stuck in bed or even in a wheelchair."

POTS is particularly challenging in athletic activities that involve frequent "start and stop" activities, such as basketball, volleyball, soccer and field hockey, added Grubb.

Both experts emphasized that POTS is a "real illness."

"People who were previously quite healthy develop severe limitations and disabilities," Grubb said.

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"They can experience disabling fatigue, exercise intolerance, heat intolerance, palpitations, lightheadedness, dizziness, fainting and brain fog."

Iovine said that due to the "invisibility" of the disease combined with the high heart rate and variability of presentations, it is often dismissed as a function of mental health.

"Patients are often turned away from proper care, made to believe it is all in their heads," she said.

"POTS is a very real condition, and the good news is that there are very real management strategies as well," Iovine went on.

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While there is no cure for POTS, many patients are able to manage their symptoms and return to their daily activities.

Added Iovine, "Build up your care team and your confidence to advocate for your health and keep to your regimented routines for management."

Grenada’s healthcare system is on track to improve with the appointment of 6 Grenadian doctors, graduates of the University of Medical Sciences of Granma, Cuba

View the full post New medical graduates from Cuba on NOW Grenada.

A country’s economy grows and the standard of living of its residents is determined, in large measure, by the involvement, engagement and productivity of its workers. Workers who are engaged and producing at their optimum are workers who are healthy – emotionally and physically.

During this World Breastfeeding Week 2024, the Ministry of Labour, Social Security and Third Sector is happy to come alongside the Breastfeeding and Child Nutrition Foundation to remind us all of the importance of breastfeeding to workers, and to enterprise and national development.

Mothers who are able to breastfeed their children and are provided adequate facilities at work to express and store breast milk are generally more engaged, satisfied and committed workers. They are more inclined to get into and remain in formal employment. They are more likely to be advocates for the organisation.

Children who are breastfed are shown to be generally healthier and better-adjusted children. As adults, they have lower incidences of chronic, non-communicable diseases than other segments of the population. They are able to engage better, think more clearly, and therefore be more productive.

Let us join together to close the gap and support mothers who are able to breastfeed their children. Mothers benefit. Children benefit. Our communities benefit. Our nation benefits.

(Ministry of Labour, Social Security and Third Sector)

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Guyana has almost eliminated filariasis, widely known locally as ‘big foot’, with remaining work to be done in only two of the ten administrative regions, Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony said, even as the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Pan-American Health Organisation (PAHO) announced a new package of assistance to fight ...

Medical experts are calling on people to resume wearing masks as a new, more transmissible variant of COVID-19 gains dominance on the island. 

No mask mandate has been issued. 

The Barbados Association of Medical Practitioners (BAMP) has stressed that whilst caution is necessary, there is no cause for alarm. While the variant has been here for several months, this strain is a more dominant one.

BAMP President Dr Lynda Williams told Barbados TODAY: “It has greater transmission . . . it doesn’t have any greater mortality, but anything that can spread faster will affect the vulnerable people most quickly, so we have to go back to the usual hand-washing and wearing of masks around people who are vulnerable and especially if they are working with them.”

The variant, known as JN1, is a sub-variant of Omicron. Its presence was first confirmed by the Ministry of Health in January, alongside a rise in respiratory illnesses including Influenza A and B and COVID-19.

Dr Williams advised that individuals vaccinated in 2020/2021 and who did not receive any boosters since then, the extent of their protection would have waned.

She said: “We will watch and see what happens; there is no need to panic, we just need to remember it’s still out there and those who are elderly or have uncontrolled comorbidities such as diabetes, they are at risk.”

Chief Medical Officer Dr Kenneth George clarified that the mask mandate has not been reintroduced. But he urged vulnerable people, including the elderly, pregnant women, and those with chronic non-communicable diseases, to take precautionary measures against respiratory illnesses.

According to the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), JN1’s symptoms are similar to those of other strains, including sore throat, congestion, runny nose, cough, fatigue, headache, muscle aches, fever or chills, loss of sense of taste or smell, and shortness of breath or difficulty breathing.

The CDC notes that symptom type and severity usually depend more on an individual’s underlying health and immunity than on the specific variant causing the infection.

Despite COVID-19 no longer being classified as a disease of international public health concern, the Ministry of Health continues to test and monitor for COVID-19 strains, acknowledging that transmission of the virus has not ceased.

As the situation develops, health officials are advising people to exercise caution in crowded spaces and to prioritise protective measures, particularly for those at higher risk. (EJ)

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Guyana continues to take numerous steps to convince the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) that the now six-year-old ban on catfish exports should be lifted, officials said Wednesday. Chief Fisheries Officer of the Ministry of Agriculture, Denzil Roberts said Guyana’s relevant fisheries regulations and inspection manuals have been updated. US Ambassador to Guyana, Nicole ...

Guyana is hesitant to vaccinate people against dengue because of the efficacy of the jab against all of the four sub-types of the mosquito-borne virus, cost and availability of the vaccines, Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony said Wednesday. With ten people already killed by dengue in 2023 and four this year, he said government would ...

View the full post CARPHA calls on Member States to provide breastfeeding support for all on NOW Grenada.