DR1 Daily News - Dominican Republic

The Ministry of Public Health issued a health warning on 28 August 2024 to strengthen surveillance nationwide following the detection of the Oropouche Virus in samples stored at the Dr. Defillo National Reference Laboratory. These samples had initially tested negative for Dengue Virus but were later confirmed to be positive for Oropouche instead.

Oropouche is a vector-borne disease, primarily transmitted through the bite of a midge known as “jején” (Culicoides paraensis), as well as the Culex mosquito, both present in the country.

While there are currently no active cases of the disease, the Ministry has intensified entomological and epidemiological surveillance to monitor any new developments. The alert serves as a preventive measure to monitor and control the virus, with increased surveillance and public awareness campaigns to prevent its spread.

Following...