Canada issues new travel advice amid spread of bug-transmitted disease

Canada has warned its travelers to be aware of the spread of the Europoch virus in Latin America. In this region, the number of cases of this virus has increased more than expected and some countries are witnessing the outbreak of this disease for the first time.

This disease is transmitted to humans through the bites of insects such as small flies and mosquitoes and has symptoms such as fever, severe headache, vomiting and dizziness. Although Oropoch virus is known in Latin America, its recent outbreak in Brazil, Bolivia and Cuba is unprecedented.

The Canadian government's health notice states: "There are concerns that the Oropoch virus can be transmitted from a pregnant mother to the fetus and cause complications such as miscarriage." For this reason, pregnant women are advised to carefully follow the tips to prevent insect bites.

Travel-related UroPoch infections have been reported worldwide. Most of these cases have been related to travel to Cuba. Local authorities began spraying in Havana on Friday, but fuel shortages have hampered efforts.

This lack of fuel has caused Canada to warn its travelers who plan to travel to Cuba to "use extreme caution." This is the second level of warning that the Canadian government issues on its four-level scale. Higher levels include "Avoid non-essential travel" and "Avoid all travel".

Cuba is facing chronic and severe shortages of food, bottled and public drinking water, medicine, fuel and foreign currency.

The areas where Oropoch virus has been detected in Cuba are marked in orange on the map above.

Areas outside the tourist areas are most affected by shortages, with intermittent power outages making access to services difficult.

Tourist areas remain at alert level one: "Take the usual security precautions."

According to US officials, more than 20 travelers have contracted the virus after returning to the United States.

No deaths were reported among the American passengers. US officials have warned doctors to be alert to possible outbreaks of the disease within the country, although no such outbreaks have yet occurred.

Since the last major outbreak late last year, about 8,000 cases have been reported in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Cuba and Peru.

In June, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned about the emergence of the Oropoch virus in the country due to the relative vulnerability of the Cuban population to the disease.

"This is the first diagnosis of this disease in this country, therefore, the population is likely to be highly susceptible to this disease and the risk of detecting additional cases is significant," said the WHO risk assessment released on June 11.

"Given that Cuba is an international tourist destination, there is a risk of the disease spreading internationally."

More specialized and accurate translations may be required according to specific fields and medical terms.

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