The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention broadened its travel guidance Thursday for regions battling Oropouche virus, warning American travellers of the mosquito- and midge-borne illness spreading through the Caribbean and parts of Central and South America. The agency maintained its Level 2 advisory calling for enhanced precautions.

Oropouche, transmitted primarily by biting midges and some mosquito species, causes fever, headache, joint pain and, in rarer cases, neurological complications. The CDC noted there is no vaccine or specific antiviral treatment, making bite prevention the primary defence for people visiting affected areas.

The updated notice followed reports of locally acquired and imported cases in the Americas, including travel-associated infections detected in the United States in recent months. CDC officials advised pregnant travellers in particular to reconsider non-essential trips, citing evidence of possible vertical transmission and adverse fetal outcomes reported by health authorities in Brazil.

The agency recommended that travellers use insect repellent containing DEET, wear long sleeves and trousers, and sleep in screened or air-conditioned accommodation. It also urged clinicians to consider Oropouche in patients returning from affected regions with unexplained fever.

A CDC spokesperson said the agency was coordinating with the Pan American Health Organization and ministries of health across the region to strengthen surveillance and laboratory testing as case counts rose.