Oropouche Virus: a New Human Disease Agent from Trinidad, West Indies *

Abstract

Summary The isolation and laboratory studies of a new virus isolated from a human fever case in Trinidad, West Indies, are described. The virus has been named Oropouche virus after the region from which it was obtained. Oropouche virus has been found to be related to Simbu virus, an agent isolated in South Africa. Neutralizing antibodies were found in the blood of a few forest workers, 8 of 26 native cebus monkeys in the Nariva Swamp and 9 of 26 howler monkeys widely distributed over the island.