Health
'Sloth fever,' or the Oropouche virus, has entered the US, here's what to know
A disease transmitted by mosquitoes — the Oropouche virus, also known as sloth fever — has been detected in the United States.
Travelers returning to the U.S. from Cuba contracted the virus in recent months, as reported by The Associated Press. No fatalities have been reported.
The Oropouche virus is endemic in the Amazon basin and has also been reported in South America and the Caribbean.
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More than 8,000 cases were reported globally between Jan. 1 and Aug. 1, 2024, including two deaths and five cases of transmission from mother to fetus, the CDC noted in an Aug. 16 advisory.
Sloth fever has been reported in Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Colombia and Cuba.
More than 8,000 cases were reported globally between Jan. 1 and Aug. 1, 2024, including two deaths and five cases of transmission from mother to fetus. (iStock)
So far, 11 cases have been identified in travelers returning from Cuba and Brazil, the CDC stated.
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“Although travel-associated cases have been identified in the United States, no evidence of local transmission currently exists within the United States or its territories,” the agency said.
“As testing and surveillance for Oropouche virus disease increase in the Americas, reports of cases from additional countries are expected.”
What is the Oropouche virus?
The Oropouche virus first emerged in Trinidad and Tobago in 1955.
Since then, it has had “limited circulation” in regions of South America, particularly in forested areas, according to the CDC.
The disease is typically spread through bites from mosquitoes and midges (small flies, particularly the Culicoides paraensis species).
Three-toed sloths and birds have been identified as “natural reservoirs” for the Oropouche virus, which means they act as hosts of the disease. (iStock)
Three-toed sloths and birds have been identified as “natural reservoirs” for Oropouche, which means they act as hosts of the disease.
“The virus doesn’t spread from person to person,” Dr. Marc Siegel, senior medical analyst for Fox News and clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center, confirmed to Fox News Digital.
“There is some risk to the fetus in terms of birth defects.”
Symptoms of Oropouche
Oropouche, classified as an arbovirus, is often mistaken for other similar viruses, like Zika, dengue, chikungunya and malaria, according to the CDC.
Symptoms of the virus include fever, headache, muscle aches, stiff joints and chills.
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Some may develop a rash that begins on the torso and spreads to other body parts.
Symptoms usually begin within four to eight days of being bitten, and last for three to six days.
Symptoms of the virus include fever, headache, muscle aches, stiff joints and chills. (iStock)
“Symptoms can abate and reoccur,” Siegel noted.
In severe cases, patients may develop meningitis, encephalitis or other “neuroinvasive” diseases, the CDC stated.
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For those patients, symptoms can include intense headaches, dizziness, confusion, nausea, vomiting, light sensitivity, lethargy, stiff neck and involuntary eye movements.
“Around 4% of patients develop [neurologic symptoms] after the first febrile illness,” Siegel said.
Treatment and prevention
Most people who contract Oropouche will recover on their own without any long-term effects, the CDC stated.
“There are no vaccines for prevention and no treatments,” Siegel said.
The best means of prevention is to avoid bites from midges and mosquitoes, according to experts.
“Patients who develop more severe symptoms should be hospitalized for close observation and supportive treatment,” the CDC stated. (iStock)
“People are advised to take preventive measures, including the use of repellents, clothing that covers legs and arms, and fine mesh mosquito nets, and to take extra precautions during outbreaks, particularly for vulnerable groups such as pregnant women,” the Pan American Health Organization advised in an alert.
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Supportive care can include rest, fluids and medication to reduce fever and alleviate pain.
“Patients who develop more severe symptoms should be hospitalized for close observation and supportive treatment,” the agency stated.
“As testing and surveillance for Oropouche virus disease increase in the Americas, reports of cases from additional countries are expected.”
Those who are experiencing symptoms and have risk factors can contact their local health department for testing.
“Clinicians in these areas where importation has occurred may not be familiar with this infection and need to be alert to its possibility,” Dr. Amesh Adalja, M.D., an infectious disease expert at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security in Baltimore, told Fox News Digital.
Fox News Digital reached out to the CDC for comment.
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As colorectal cancer (CRC) is now the leading cause of cancer death in adults under 50, a new report reveals some surprising shifts in the incidence of the disease.
Although rates of CRC have been declining among seniors, those 65 and under are facing a rise in diagnoses, according to a report titled Colorectal Cancer Statistics, 2026, from the American Cancer Society.
Adults 65 and younger comprise nearly half (45%) of all new colorectal cancer cases — a significant increase from 27% in 1995, states the report, which was published in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians.
The disease is rising fastest among adults 20 to 49 years old, at a rate of 3% per year.
Colorectal cancer is now the leading cause of cancer death in adults under 50. (iStock)
Among adults 50 and under, 75% of colorectal cancers are diagnosed at an advanced stage. Half of the diagnoses in that age range are made between the ages of 45 and 49. Although that age group is eligible to receive routine screenings, just 37% do so.
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The report also revealed that rectal cancer is on the rise, now accounting for about one-third (32%) of all CRC cases — an increase from 27% in the mid-2000s.
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“After decades of progress, the risk of dying from colorectal cancer is climbing in younger generations of men and women, confirming a real uptick in disease because of something we’re doing or some other exposure,” said Rebecca Siegel, senior scientific director, surveillance research at the American Cancer Society and lead author of the report, in a press release.
Among adults 50 and under, 75% of colorectal cancers are diagnosed at an advanced stage. Half of the diagnoses in that age range are made between the ages of 45 and 49. (iStock)
“We need to redouble research efforts to understand the cause, but also circumvent deaths through earlier detection by educating clinicians and the general public about symptoms and increasing screening in people 45-54 years.”
It is projected that 158,850 new cases of colorectal cancer will be diagnosed this year, and that the disease will cause 55,230 deaths, per the report.
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More than half of CRC cases can be linked to high-risk behaviors, the researchers said. Those include lack of nutrition, high alcohol consumption, smoking, lack of exercise and obesity.
“These findings further underscore that colorectal cancer is worsening among younger generations and highlight the immediate need for eligible adults to begin screening at the recommended age of 45,” said Dr. William Dahut, chief scientific officer at the American Cancer Society.
When the disease is caught at a local (early) stage, the five-year survival rate is 95%. (iStock)
“The report also shines a light on the crucial importance of continued funding for research to help discover new therapies to treat the disease and advance patient care.”
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When the disease is caught at a local (early) stage, the five-year survival rate is 95%, the report stated.
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A new study suggests that middle-aged men may be more vulnerable to faster biological aging, potentially linked to exposure to “forever chemicals.”
The research, published in the journal Frontiers in Aging, examined how perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, more commonly known as PFAS, could impact aging at the cellular level.
PFAS are synthetic chemicals commonly used in nonstick cookware, food packaging, water-resistant fabrics and other consumer products, the study noted.
Their chemical structure makes them highly resistant to breaking down, allowing them to accumulate in water, soil and the human body.
Chinese researchers analyzed blood samples from 326 adults enrolled in the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey between 1999 and 2000.
A new study suggests that middle-aged men could face accelerated biological aging at the cellular level due to exposure to PFAS. (iStock)
The researchers measured levels of 11 PFAS compounds in participants’ blood and used DNA-based “epigenetic clocks” — tools that analyze chemical changes to DNA to estimate biological age — to determine how quickly their bodies were aging at the cellular level, the study stated.
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Two compounds, perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) and perfluorooctanesulfonamide (PFOSA), were detected in 95% of participants.
Higher concentrations of those chemicals were associated with faster biological aging in men of certain age groups, but not in women.
“People should not panic.”
The compounds most strongly linked to accelerated aging were not the PFAS chemicals that typically receive the most public attention, the researchers noted.
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“The associations were strongest in adults aged 50 to 64, particularly in men,” Dr. Xiangwei Li, professor at Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine and the study’s corresponding author, told Fox News Digital.
“While this does not establish that PFAS cause aging, it suggests that these widely present ‘forever chemicals’ may be linked to molecular changes related to long-term health and aging.”
The study found that two of the compounds were detected in 95% of participants, and higher levels were linked to faster biological aging in men ages 50–64. (iStock)
Midlife may represent a more sensitive biological period, when the body becomes more vulnerable to age-related stressors, according to the researchers.
Lifestyle factors, such as smoking, may influence biological aging markers, potentially increasing vulnerability to environmental pollutants.
While Li said “people should not panic,” she does recommend looking for reasonable ways to reduce exposure.
That might mean checking local drinking water reports, using certified water filters designed to reduce PFAS, and limiting the use of stain- or grease-resistant products when alternatives are available.
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Meaningful reductions in PFAS exposure will likely depend on broader regulatory action and environmental cleanup efforts, Li added.
The researchers noted that midlife could be a particularly sensitive stage, when the body is more susceptible to stressors associated with aging. (iStock)
Study limitations
The researchers outlined several important limitations of the research, including that the findings show an association, but do not prove that PFAS directly causes accelerated aging.
“The study is cross-sectional, meaning exposure and aging markers were measured at the same time, so we cannot determine causality,” Li told Fox News Digital.
The study was also relatively small, limited to 326 adults age 50 or older, which means the findings may not apply to younger people or broader populations.
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Researchers measured PFAS levels using data collected between 1999 and 2000, and today’s exposure patterns may differ.
Li added that while PFAS is known to persist in the environment and the body, these results should be validated through larger, more recent studies that follow participants over time.
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