Guillain-Barré Syndrome and Visual Impairment Associated with Emerging Oropouche Virus Lineage, Brazil, 2024

10 Apr 20264 min read0 views

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We report a case of Guillain-Barré syndrome with visual impairment after confirmed Oropouche virus infection during the 2024 outbreak in Ceará, Brazil. Whole-genome sequencing revealed infection by a novel reassortant viral lineage (OROVBR_2025_2024), raising concern about the neurovirulence of this emerging orthobunyavirus strain.
Oropouche virus (OROV), an orthobunyavirus transmitted by mosquitoes and Culicoides paraensis midges, is emerging as a major arboviral pathogen in Latin America. Although typically associated with mild febrile illness, the current outbreak, which is linked to the novel reassortant lineage OROV BR-2015–2024 ( 1 ), has been associated with severe cases, including fatalities, vertical transmission with fetal deaths ( 2 – 4 ), and Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) ( 5 ).
We report a case of GBS with possible bilateral optic neuritis after OROV infection during the 2024 outbreak in Ceará state, Brazil.