281
Parasite in Geoff roy’s cat
Neotropical Helminthology, Vol. 20, Nº2, jul - dec 2026
Neotropical Helminthology
Neotropical Helminthology, 2026, vol. 20 (2), 281-286
ORIGINAL ARTICLE / ARTÍCULO ORIGINAL
CIRCULATION OF OROPOUCHE VIRUS (OROV) IN FIVE MUNICIPALITIES
OF CAMAGÜEY, CUBA: A CASE SERIES, JUNE–OCTOBER 2024
CIRCULACIÓN DEL VIRUS OROPOUCHE (VORO) EN CINCO MUNICIPIOS
DE CAMAGÜEY, CUBA: SERIE DE CASOS, JUNIO-OCTUBRE DE 2024
Néstor Navarro-Vega¹*, Yunaika Jacob-Perez2, Yudisleydis Cervantes-Gonzalez3,
Darelys Moncada-Zaragoza4, Lorenzo Diéguez-Fernandez5 & José Raúl de Armas-Fernández6
ISSN Versión Impresa 2218-6425 ISSN Versión Electrónica 1995-1403
DOI: https://doi.org/10.62429/rnh20262022227
Universidad Nacional
Federico Villarreal
Volume 20, Number 1 (Jan - Jun) 2026
Este artículo es publicado por la revista Neotropical Helminthology de la Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Matemática, Universidad Nacional Federico
Villarreal, Lima, Perú auspiciado por la Asociación Peruana de Helmintología e Invertebrados Afi nes (APHIA). Este es un artículo de acceso abierto,
distribuido bajo los términos de la licencia Creative Commons Atribución 4.0 Internacional (CC BY 4.0) [https:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
deed.es] que permite el uso, distribución y reproducción en cualquier medio, siempre que la obra original sea debidamente citada de su fuente original.
ABSTRACT
Oropouche virus (OROV) is an emerging arbovirus that has shown rapid geographic expansion across the Americas.
In Cuba, the fi rst cases were confi rmed in 2024. is study describes OROV positivity in municipalities of Camagüey
Province between June and October 2024 and characterizes its distribution by sex and geographic area. An observational,
descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted. A total of 103 suspected cases reported in thirteen municipalities were
included. Confi rmation was performed by real-time RT-PCR at the reference laboratory of the “Pedro Kourí” Institute
of Tropical Medicine (IPK) in Havana. Twenty-seven cases were confi rmed (26.2 % positivity): thirteen women (48.1
¹ Centro Provincial de Higiene, Epidemiología y Microbiología de Camagüey, Camagüey, Cuba. E-mail: nvnestor.cmw@
infomed.sld.cu
2 Centro Provincial de Higiene, Epidemiología y Microbiología de Camagüey, Camagüey, Cuba. E-mail: yunaikajacob19179@
gmail.com
3 Centro Provincial de Higiene, Epidemiología y Microbiología de Camagüey, Camagüey, Cuba. E-mail: yudisleydiscervantes@
gmail.com
4 Centro Provincial de Higiene, Epidemiología y Microbiología de Camagüey, Camagüey, Cuba. E-mail: zaragoza111088@
gmail.com
5 Centro Provincial de Higiene, Epidemiología y Microbiología de Camagüey, Camagüey, Cuba. E-mail: lorenzodieguez95@
gmail.com
6 Ministerio de Salud Pública de Cuba, Departamento de Prevención y Control de Enfermedades Transmisibles, La Habana,
Cuba. E-mail: jraulcu@gmail.com
* Corresponding author: nvnestor.cmw@infomed.sld.cu
Néstor Navarro-Vega: https://orcid.org/0009-0001-3817-4263
Yunaika Jacob-Perez: https://orcid.org/0009-0002-0583-8112
Yudisleydis Cervantes-Gonzalez: https://orcid.org/0009-0005-0395-7590
Darelys Moncada-Zaragoza: https://orcid.org/0009-0000-9160-9708
Lorenzo Diéguez-Fernandez: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5267-9575
José Raúl de Armas-Fernández: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7351-7006
282
Neotropical Helminthology, Vol. 20, Nº2, jul - dec 2026
Navarro-Vega et al.
%) and fourteen men (51.9 %). Viral circulation was detected in five municipalities (38.5 %): Camagüey, Florida,
Minas, Céspedes, and Vertientes. Positivity reached 100 % in some subgroups (Florida, men, June; Céspedes, both
sexes, July). Circulation of OROV was corroborated in Camagüey Province, with a balanced distribution by sex.
Strengthening entomological and clinical surveillance is recommended, especially during periods of high arbovirus
transmission.
Keywords: arbovirus – Camagüey – Cuba – epidemiological surveillance – Oropouche virus
RESUMEN
El virus Oropouche (OROV) es un arbovirus emergente que ha mostrado una rápida expansión geográfica en las Américas.
En Cuba, los primeros casos se confirmaron en 2024. Este estudio describe la positividad de OROV en municipios de la
provincia de Camagüey entre junio y octubre de 2024 y caracteriza su distribución por sexo y área geográfica. Se realizó
un estudio observacional, descriptivo y transversal. Se incluyó un total de 103 casos sospechosos notificados en trece
municipios. La confirmación se realizó mediante RT-PCR en tiempo real en el laboratorio de referencia del Instituto de
Medicina Tropical “Pedro Kourí” (IPK), de La Habana. Se confirmaron veintisiete casos (26,2 % de positividad): trece
mujeres (48,1 %) y catorce hombres (51,9 %). Se detectó circulación viral en cinco municipios (38.5 %): Camagüey,
Florida, Minas, Céspedes y Vertientes. La positividad alcanzó el 100 % en algunos subgrupos (Florida, hombres, junio;
Céspedes, ambos sexos, julio). Se corroboró la circulación de OROV en la provincia de Camagüey, con una distribución
equilibrada por sexo. Se recomienda fortalecer la vigilancia entomológica y clínica, especialmente durante los períodos
de alta transmisión de arbovirus.
Palabras clave: arbovirus – Camagüey – Cuba – vigilancia epidemiológica – virus Oropouche
INTRODUCTION
Oropouche fever is an emerging arboviral disease caused
by Oropouche virus (OROV), a member of the family
Peribunyaviridae. e biting midge Culicoides paraensis
is the primary vector, although Culex quinquefasciatus
mosquitoes can also transmit it (PAHO, 2025a; García
et al., 2026). Recently, Martínez et al. (2025) reported
the first detection of C. paraensis in Cuba during the
initial Oropouche fever outbreak outside the Amazon
region.
Traditionally endemic to the Amazon basin, since late 2023
OROV has experienced an unprecedented geographic
expansion into new areas of the Americas (Scotto et al.,
2025; Sharma et al., 2026). Climate change, deforestation,
and unplanned urbanization favor this spread to previously
unaffected regions, such as urban areas of Cuba (PAHO,
2025a; Martínez et al., 2025). A recent systematic review
confirmed the high vector competence of C. paraensis for
OROV, explaining its rapid dissemination in territories
where this vector becomes established (Gallichotte et al.,
2025).
e first Cuban outbreak was documented in 2024, with
all provinces reporting cases (Gómez et al., 2025). Between
May and June 2024, the first 25 cases were confirmed in
Mayabeque, Matanzas, and Villa Clara provinces, with
a male-to-female ratio of 1.1 and a median age of 34.5
years (CDC, 2024). By late May 2024, the Ministry of
Public Health (MINSAP) reported outbreaks in Santiago
de Cuba and Cienfuegos, totaling 74 confirmed cases
(WHO, 2024). By January 2025, Cuba had accumulated
626 confirmed cases and 23,638 suspected cases, affecting
73.8% of its municipalities. Phylogenetic studies indicated
that the virus was introduced into Cuba in the first quarter
of 2024, likely from the Brazilian state of Acre (PAHO,
2025a; Jiménez et al., 2024).
is study describes suspected and confirmed OROV
fever cases in Camagüey province between June and
October 2024, aiming to characterize positivity by sex
and municipality.
283
Oropouche virus circulation in Camagüey
Neotropical Helminthology, Vol. 20, Nº2, jul - dec 2026
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Study design and area
An observational, descriptive, cross-sectional study was
conducted. All suspected cases notified by epidemiological
surveillance in the thirteen municipalities of Camagüey
province were included: Camagüey (capital), Florida,
Jimaguayú, Minas, Najasa, Sibanicú, Céspedes, Esmeralda,
Vertientes, Guáimaro, Nuevitas, Santa Cruz del Sur, and
Sierra de Cubitas. e study period comprised June 1 to
October 31, 2024.
Definitions
Suspected case: Patient with acute febrile syndrome
(axillary temperature ≥38°C, <7 days of evolution) plus
at least two of the following: retro-orbital headache,
myalgia, arthralgia, photophobia, vomiting, rash, or
lower back pain; with negative IgM for dengue and no
diagnosis of other arboviruses; and with epidemiological
history of residence or visit within the previous 14
days to an area with confirmed or suspected OROV
circulation.
Confirmed case: A suspected case with a positive result
for OROV by real-time RT-PCR (reverse transcription–
polymerase chain reaction) in a serum or plasma sample
processed at the reference laboratory of the “Pedro
Kourí” Institute of Tropical Medicine (IPK) in Havana.
Excluded case: Patient with confirmed diagnosis
of dengue (IgM+), Chikungunya, Zika, or another
arbovirus during the same episode.
Statistical analysis
Absolute frequencies and percentages of positivity by sex
and municipality were calculated. IBM SPSS Statistics
version 25.0 software was used.
Ethical considerations
e study adhered to the principles of the Declaration of
Helsinki (WMA, 2024), which states that every precaution
must be taken to protect the privacy of research participants
and the confidentiality of their personal information. e
latter was ensured through anonymization of the database
prior to analysis, removal of direct identifiers, and secure
storage of information in a system with restricted access.
As the research was based on routine epidemiological
surveillance data, additional informed consent was not
required, in accordance with current Cuban regulations
(Ley 149, 2022) and the WHO guidelines (WHO, 2017)
on ethical issues in public health surveillance, which state
that under certain circumstances, requiring informed
consent may be ethically inappropriate when reliable,
valid, and complete datasets are needed, and appropriate
safeguards are in place.
RESULTS
During the study period, 103 suspected cases were notified:
51 females (49.5 %) and 52 males (50.5 %). A total of
27 cases were confirmed (26.2 % overall positivity): 13
females (25.5 % positivity among females) and 14 males
(26.9 % positivity among males).
Viral circulation was confirmed in five municipalities (38.5
% of the thirteen studied): Camagüey, Florida, Minas,
Céspedes, and Vertientes. Table 1 shows the details by
municipality, month, and sex. e highest positivity (100
%) was observed in the following subgroups: Florida (males,
June), Minas (females, June), Céspedes (both sexes, July),
Vertientes (females, July), and Camagüey (males, June
and October).
Table 1. Suspected cases, confirmed cases, and Oropouche virus positivity by municipality, month, and sex. Camagüey,
June–October 2024.
Suspected cases Confirmed cases Positivity rate (%)
Month Municipality Female Male Female Male Female Male
June
Camagüey 6 1 0 1 0.00 100.00
Florida 3 3 2 3 66.67 100.00
Jimaguayú 0 1 0 0 0.00 0.00
Minas 3 4 3 2 100.00 50.00
Najasa 2 1 0 0 0.00 0.00
Sibanicú 1 2 0 0 0.00 0.00
(Continúa Table 1)
284
Neotropical Helminthology, Vol. 20, Nº2, jul - dec 2026
Navarro-Vega et al.
Confirmed cases were detected during months of low
apparent transmission (August and October), suggesting
sustained low-level viral circulation or possible re-
introductions.
DISCUSSION
Our findings confirm Oropouche virus circulation in five
municipalities of Camagüey, with an overall positivity of
26.2 % and a balanced sex distribution (male-to-female
ratio 1.1). ese results are consistent with reports from the
initial Cuban cases (Benítez et al., 2024) and with regional
data from PAHO (2025b) showing similar affectation
between sexes (Gómez et al., 2025).
e presence of cases in August and October, outside the
expected epidemic peak, supports the hypothesis of low-
level endemic circulation or periodic reintroductions, as
described in the Amazon region (Scotto et al., 2025). e
Cuban surveillance system, based on active screening of
febrile syndromes, has enabled detection of these events.
High positivity (100 %) was observed in municipalities
such as Céspedes and Vertientes during July, which may
reflect localized outbreaks and the need to intensify vector
control efforts in these foci. e simultaneous presence
of dengue and Oropouche in the territory (Gómez et
al., 2025) poses a diagnostic and clinical management
challenge. Rosales et al. (2025) have highlighted the urgency
of developing vaccines against circulating arboviruses in
Cuba, which is particularly relevant for Camagüey (Gómez
et al., 2025; García et al., 2026).
A relevant aspect to consider is the ability of OROV to
persist in different tissues and body fluids. Recent studies
have demonstrated the presence of active viral RNA
in whole blood, urine, and semen up to four months
post-infection, suggesting that these fluids could play a
role in non-vector transmission and in maintaining viral
circulation during periods of low vector activity (Matucci
et al., 2025). is phenomenon could partially explain
the detection of confirmed cases during months such as
August and October in our series.
is study has several limitations: a) the small number
of confirmed cases, limiting generalizability; b) absence
of detailed clinical data (symptoms, complications,
outcomes); c) inability to calculate incidence rates due to
lack of monthly population denominators by municipality;
d) potential reinfections were not assessed due to lack
of serological follow-up. Nevertheless, despite these
limitations, this is the first specific report of Oropouche
fever cases in Camagüey province with municipal and
July
Camagüey 24 15 4 1 16.67 6.67
Céspedes 2 1 2 1 100.00 100.00
Esmeralda 2 0 0 0 0.00 0.00
Florida 7 3 0 0 0.00 0.00
Minas 11 8 0 0 0.00 0.00
Najasa 0 1 0 0 0.00 0.00
Santa Cruz del Sur 2 3 0 1 0.00 33.33
Vertientes 2 3 2 1 100.00 33.33
August Najasa 0 1 0 1 0.00 100.00
October
Céspedes 0 1 0 0 0.00 0.00
Esmeralda 1 2 0 0 0.00 0.00
Florida 2 7 0 0 0.00 0.00
Guáimaro 3 2 0 0 0.00 0.00
Nuevitas 4 2 0 0 0.00 0.00
Santa Cruz del Sur 1 1 0 0 0.00 0.00
Sibanicú 1 0 0 0 0.00 0.00
Sierra de Cubitas 1 0 0 0 0.00 0.00
Vertientes 3 2 0 0 0.00 0.00
Camagüey 0 1 0 1 0.00 100.00
(Continúa Table 1)
285
Oropouche virus circulation in Camagüey
Neotropical Helminthology, Vol. 20, Nº2, jul - dec 2026
monthly disaggregation, allowing adjustment of entomo-
epidemiological surveillance actions in the territory
(PAHO, 2025b).
In conclusion, Oropouche virus circulation is confirmed
in at least five municipalities of Camagüey province
(Camagüey, Florida, Minas, Céspedes, and Vertientes),
with an overall positivity of 26.2% and a balanced sex
distribution. Detection of cases during low-transmission
months suggests sustained circulation.
erefore, we recommend strengthening entomological
surveillance through weekly C. paraensis collections in
municipalities with confirmed positivity, training primary
healthcare personnel in the differential diagnosis of
arboviruses, establishing an early warning system based on
increases in nonspecific febrile syndromes, and prioritizing
RT-PCR sample collection in the municipalities of Florida,
Minas, and Céspedes.
Author contributions: CRediT (Contributor Roles
Taxonomy)
NNV = Néstor Navarro-Vega
YJP = Yunaika Jacob-Pérez
YCG = Yudisleydis Cervantes-González
DMZ = Darelis Moncada-Zaragoza
LDF = Lorenzo Diéguez-Fernández
JRAF = José Raúl de Armas-Fernández
Conceptualization: NNV
Data curation: YJP, YCG, DMZ
Formal Analysis: NNV, YJP, YCG, DMZ, LDF, JRAF
Funding acquisition: NNV, YJP, YCG, DMZ, LDF, JRAF
Investigation: NNV, YJP, YCG, DMZ, LDF, JRAF
Methodology: NNV, YJP, YCG, DMZ, LDF, JRAF
Project administration: JRAF
Resources: NNV, JRAF
Software: NNV, YJP, YCG, DMZ, LDF, JRAF
Supervision: NNV, YJP, YCG, DMZ, LDF, JRAF
Validation: NNV, YJP, YCG, DMZ, LDF, JRAF
Visualization: NNV, LDF
Writing – original draft: NNV, YJP, YCG, DMZ, LDF,
JRAF
Writing – review & editing: NNV, YJP, YCG, DMZ,
LDF, JRAF
BIBLIOGRAPHIC REFERENCES
Benítez, A.J., Alvarez, M., Perez, L., Gravier, R., Serrano,
S., Hernandez, D.M., Perez, M.M., Gutierrez, G.,
Martinez, Y., Companioni, A., Peña, C., de Armas,
J.R., Couto, D., Betancourt, I., Sanchez, M.R.,
Resik, S., Kouri, V., & Guzman, M.G. (2024).
Oropouche fever, Cuba, May 2024. Emerging
Infectious Diseases, 30, 2155-2159.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2024).
Countries and territories with recent or previous
Oropouche virus transmission. U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services.
García, D., Fischer, C., López, L., Olk, N., Piche, M.,
Rodríguez, L., Paredes, B., Flasche, S., Rivera, D.G.,
Verez, V., & Drexler, J.F. (2026). Seroprevalence of
Oropouche virus following the 2024–2025 outbreak
in Cuba. Nature Health, 1, 933–937.
Gallichotte, E.N., Ebel, G.D., & Carlson, C.J. (2025).
Vector competence for Oropouche virus: A
systematic review of pre-2024 experiments. PLOS
Neglected Tropical Diseases, 19, e0013014.
Gómez, J.F., Rodríguez, A.J., & Paniz, A. (2025).
Oropouche virus entomovirology and surveillance:
where are we and where are we headed?. Acta
Tropica, 271, 107890.
Jiménez, J.V., Cañete-Villafranca, R., & Cabrera, E.R.
(2024). Virus Oropouche, un desafío emergente
para la salud pública cubana. Revista Cubana de
Medicina Tropical, 76, e1267.
Ley 149. (2022). De Protección de Datos Personales de
la República de Cuba. Gaceta Oficial Edición
Ordinaria No. 90 de 25 de agosto de 2022. https://
www.mincom.gob.cu/sites/default/files/ley-de-
proteccion-de-datos-personales.pdf
Martínez, Y., Campanioni, A., Menéndez, Z., Camacho, E.,
Sánchez, M., Cox, N., Casanova, Q.R., & Bugallo,
G. (2025). First report of Culicoides paraensis
(Goeldi, 1905) (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) in
Cuba: A new challenge for public health. Parasite
Epidemiology and Control, 29, e00423.
Matucci, A., Pomari, E., Mori, A., Accordini, S., Gianesini,
N., Passarelli, R., Gobbi, F.G., Castilletti, C., &
Capobianchi, M.R. (2025). Persistence and active
replication status of Oropouche virus in different
body sites: longitudinal analysis of a traveler infected
with a strain spreading in Latin America. Viruses,
17, 852.
286
Neotropical Helminthology, Vol. 20, Nº2, jul - dec 2026
Navarro-Vega et al.
Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). (2025a).
PAHO publishes new update on Oropouche fever in
the Americas. PAHO.
Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). (2025b).
Epidemiological Alert: Oropouche in the Americas.
PAHO. https://www.paho.org/en/news/14-8-
2025-paho-publishes-new-update-oropouche-
fever-americas
Rosales, Y., Fajardo, E., & Amin, N. (2025). Vacunas para
la prevención de los arbovirus: una actualización.
Vaccimonitor, 34, e023425.
Scotto, G., Fazio, V., & Massa, S. (2025). Oropouche virus:
An emerging arboviral threat and its implications
for Europe. Life, 15, 1674.
Sharma, R., Sharma, K., Malviya, R., & Sundram, S.
(2026). e global outbreak of Oropouche virus:
Surveillance of global trends. Tropical Diseases, Travel
Medicine and Vaccines, 12, 14.
World Health Organization (WHO). (2017). WHO
guidelines on ethical issues in public health surveillance.
WHO.
World Health Organization (WHO). (2024). Oropouche
virus disease - Cuba. Disease Outbreak News. WHO.
World Medical Association (WMA). (2024). Declaration
of Helsinki – Ethical Principles for Medical Research
Involving Human Participants. Ferney-Voltaire:
WMA.
Received July 30, 2026.
Accepted September 18, 2026.
Published online September 21, 2026.
