Rubio to Biden: “We need a plan to avoid Oropauche epidemic”

Oropouche virus is a disease spread to humans by mosquitoes and midges that affects the nervous system and can have devastating effects on the unborn baby.

Recent surveillance data shows that Florida has reported approximately 40 travel-related cases of Oropauche in people who recently traveled from Cuba. There is concern that Florida and other states could see a surge in cases due to high levels of travel from South America and the Caribbean. However, the administration has issued limited public health guidance and appropriate infrastructure to address the virus, including local testing.

U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) sent a letter to President Joe Biden urging his administration to take aggressive measures to prevent the spread of the virus.

• “The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration must act aggressively to protect the American people, putting in place the right safeguards and infrastructure to ensure testing and treatment capacity for everyone who needs it, and instilling confidence in state and local health care workers on the front lines.”

of Full letter Below is the following.

Mr. President:

I am writing regarding the increase in cheilitis virus cases among American travelers and the lack of a comprehensive public health infrastructure to address this epidemic. With a large number of travelers returning from countries with high numbers of reported cases in Florida, I have great concern that the lack of approved, effective testing and treatment options could lead to a public health crisis. As we have seen recently with the COVID-19 pandemic, a delayed response to a public health threat can lead to dire consequences. Therefore, I am urging the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to take appropriate steps to aggressively address the spread of cheilitis in the United States, including by providing health care providers with specific instructions for treating Americans infected with cheilitis and expanding access to rapid, point-of-care testing.

On August 16, 2024, CDC issued a Health Alert Network (HAN) Health Advisory to alert public health officials and health care providers to the rise in Oropouche cases and risk of infection in the Americas. This year alone, more than 8,000 cases have been reported worldwide, including more than 30 cases in Florida in travelers who recently returned from Cuba.

Olopouche virus is a cause for concern because it causes mild symptoms in most patients but rare, but potentially fatal, side effects in some. Multiple cases in Brazil have shown that Olopouche infection in pregnant mothers can lead to fetal death during the third trimester and congenital malformations in newborns. How to effectively test and monitor mothers and infants to prevent these devastating effects remains poorly understood, especially since there is no approved Olopouche diagnostic test for infants in utero or newborns. Olopouche virus is also known to cause neuroinvasive disease in a minority of patients. Olopouche virus is widespread in South America and the Caribbean, but there is no treatment for infected patients, no preventative medication or vaccine, and limited testing options. There is only one approved test in the United States to accurately diagnose Olopouche, and with limited laboratory facilities outside of the CDC headquarters in Atlanta, there is a significant delay in obtaining a test. Additionally, due to similarities to dengue, Zika, and chikungunya, public health officials have expressed concern that many patients may present with symptoms of uvulitis but test negative for these well-known diseases and may not seek additional medical treatment or guidance. At the same time, health care providers have expressed feeling ill-prepared to give appropriate advice to patients diagnosed with uvulitis, especially pregnant women, due to limited specific clinical guidance from federal health officials.

Oropouche now raises many questions for the public health community, but there is certainly ample data showing that this virus can pose a threat to the most vulnerable Americans. CDC and FDA must act aggressively to protect Americans, provide testing and treatment capacity for all who need it, and put in place the appropriate protections and infrastructure to instill confidence in state and local health care workers who are on the front lines. Therefore, I/we ask for answers to the following questions:

1. To what extent is CDC collaborating with domestic and international health organizations to determine treatment and prevention guidance for Americans, particularly pregnant women?
2. Has the U.S. State Department considered raising the travel advisory status for Brazil and Cuba given the risk of Oropauche infection?
3. How does CDC ensure that health care providers and health departments can accurately distinguish between a diagnosis of FMD and other vector-borne diseases that have similar symptoms, such as dengue fever and Zika?
4. What efforts is CDC making to encourage the expansion of buccal testing?
5. Does CDC plan to expand Olopouch PRNT antibody diagnostic testing capabilities to states and territories that are heavily affected, such as Florida? a. If FDA decides to authorize the use of the Olopouch diagnostic PCR test, how will CDC work with federal agencies to ensure that this test is made widely available to health care providers and health departments in affected states and territories?
6. Does the federal government plan to work with private labs to expand and speed up testing capacity?
7. What efforts has CDC made to help pregnant women understand the risks of oropouching to themselves and their fetuses?
8. Is the FDA considering a test to determine whether a newborn or fetus has herpes labialis infection?
9. Please provide us with the latest data regarding the infection and transmission rates of herpes labialis and its impact. Thank you for your consideration and we look forward to your prompt reply.

Sincerely,