#Congenital #Oropouche in #Humans: Clinical Characterization of a Possible New #Teratogenic Syndrome
Abstract Oropouche fever is caused by the Oropouche virus (OROV; Bunyaviridae , Orthobunyavirus), one of the most frequent arboviruses that infect humans in the Brazilian Amazon . This year, an OROV outbreak was identified in Brazil , and its vertical transmission was reported, which was associated with fetal death and microcephaly. We describe the clinical manifestations identified in three cases of congenital OROV infection with confirmed serology (OROV-IgM) in the mother-newborn binomial . One of the newborns died , and post-mortem molecular analysis using real-time RT-qPCR identified the OROV genome in several tissues . All three newborns were born in the Amazon region in Brazil , and the mothers reported fever, rash, headache, myalgia, and/or retro-orbital pain during pregnancy . The newborns presented with severe microcephaly secondary to brain damage and arthrogryposis , suggestive of an embryo/fetal disruptive process at birth . Brain and spinal images identified overlapping su...