Oropouche fever (OF) is an emerging arboviral disease caused by Orthobunyavirus oropoucheense (OROV), transmitted mainly by Culicoides paraensis. With nonspecific clinical presentation and epidemic potential, it is a compulsory notifiable disease. This study aimed to describe the clinical-epidemiological profile of OF cases reported in Santa Catarina in 2024–2025. Descriptive study with secondary anonymized data obtained from the Diretoria de Vigilância Epidemiológica de Santa Catarina (DIVE/SC), with approval by the Research Ethics Committee (CEP/UNISUL), no. 7426341. Variables analyzed included number of confirmed cases; municipality of occurrence; sex; age group; race/color; area of residence; comorbidities; and clinical signs. Data were organized and analyzed in Excel. A total of 169 OF cases were confirmed in Santa Catarina between 2024 and 2025, mainly concentrated in the municipalities of Luiz Alves (n=69; 41%) and Botuverá (n=37; 22%), which together accounted for 63% of cases. Most affected individuals were male (58%), self-declared White (83%), and residents of urban areas (79%). The predominant age group was 30–49 years (41%). Among reported cases, 36 patients had systemic arterial hypertension and 11 had diabetes mellitus. The most frequent symptoms were fever and headache (91%; n=153), followed by myalgia (78%), arthralgia (66%), nausea (60%), and retro-orbital pain (53%). Neurological signs were present in 20% of cases. Other reported symptoms included low back pain (29%), loss of appetite (28%), vomiting (22%), pruritus (21%), petechiae (18%), ecchymoses (13%), rash and dyspnea (both 15%). OF in Santa Catarina showed a distribution concentrated in two municipalities, with predominance among adult men living in urban areas. The clinical picture was marked by nonspecific symptoms and relevant neurological manifestations. The presence of comorbidities reinforces the need for attention to surveillance in vulnerable groups.
Carl et al. (2026) studied this question.