A Little-Know Tropical Virus Is Quietly Exploding Across Latin America — Scientists See Early Signs of Another Global Pandemic

A Little-Know Tropical Virus Is Quietly Exploding Across Latin America — Scientists See Early Signs of Another Global Pandemic

A virus largely unknown outside scientific circles is spreading rapidly across parts of Latin America, drawing comparisons to Zika and dengue and prompting concern from epidemiologists. Known as the oropouche virus, it has already infected over 20,000 people in the region since late 2023, with confirmed cases across Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Bolivia, and the Caribbean. The virus, first documented in 1955 in Trinidad and Tobago, is now being watche…