Oropouche virus – a reflection
This year, Oropouche virus garnered more attention in the scientific literature and mainstream media due to concerning developments, including unusually large outbreaks in endemic areas and spread outside of usual boundaries, for example a large outbreak in Cuba and imported cases in Europe. In addition, more severe clinical manifestations including the first recorded fatalities and a potential link to miscarriage, stillbirth and foetal neurological disorders in infected pregnant women were reported.
Many published OROV in vitro studies use older, laboratory adapted strains with unknown relevance to contemporary strains. This is particularly pertinent for OROV, which as a tri-segmented RNA virus has a relatively fast evolution rate and the ability to genetically reassort. Making more recent, lower passage strains available to the scientific community is important and will hopefully enable much needed insights into this emerging, yet understudied, cause of disease.
- Dr Emma Wise: Pathogen Characterisation Team UKHSA
Two strains of Oropouche virus are available from the NCPV collection. 1409261v Oropouche orthobunyavirus was originally deposited in NCPV 2010, and records suggest it was originally from Brazil. 1811021v Orthobunyavirus oropoucheense (Strain Designation OROV/EC/Esmeraldas/087/2016) was originally isolated in Ecuador in 2016 and was deposited into NCPV by Dr Emma Wise in November 2018. Visit the strain product pages for more information on these strains and to place orders.
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