Health officials are warning Americans about a rare insect-borne virus that has infected several travelers.

As of August 16, there have been 21 cases of Oropouche virus disease, sometimes called “sloth fever,” detected among U.S. travelers returning from Cuba, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC is urging clinicians and public health offices to be aware of the virus, test for suspected cases, and for travelers to protect themselves from insect bites.

What is ‘Sloth Fever’?

Oropouche virus is an arthropod-borne virus, meaning it is spread to people by the bite of infected arthropods, a group of insects. The virus is mainly spread to humans by infected Culicoides paraensis, a species of biting midges, although it can also be transmitted by certain mosquito species, according to the CDC.

The virus is sometimes called “sloth fever” because scientists first found it in a three-toed sloth, and the virus naturally lives in sloths, non-human primates, and birds. Dr. Chantal Vogels, an assistant professor of epidemiology at Yale School of Public Health, explained that this nickname likely stems from the role of sloths as hosts in the virus’s natural transmission cycle.

Oropouche virus is endemic to the Amazon basin, including Bolivia, Colombia, and Peru. It was first discovered in a human in 1955, in a febrile forest worker in a village in Trinidad and Tobago. Dr. Peter Hotez, co-director of the Texas Children’s Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, mentioned concerns about the virus spreading to Cuba and possibly elsewhere in the Caribbean, with imported cases already seen in the U.S. He noted that there is a possibility it could establish itself in the southern U.S., particularly in Gulf Coast states.

What Are the Symptoms?

The incubation period of Oropouche virus disease is three to 10 days and presents symptoms similar to other diseases like dengue, Zika, and chikungunya. Common symptoms include fever, headache, chills, muscle aches, and joint pain, typically lasting about two to seven days before disappearing.

Patients may also experience other symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, rash, sensitivity to light, dizziness, and pain behind the eyes. Dr. Michael Angarone, an infectious diseases specialist at Northwestern Medicine in Chicago, pointed out that about a week after initial symptoms, more than 50% of people may experience a recurrence of symptoms, which will last for another five to seven days before subsiding again.

How Is It Treated?

To diagnose Oropouche virus disease, a healthcare provider will need to order laboratory tests. There are no vaccines to prevent or medicines to treat Oropouche virus disease. Treatment mainly involves managing symptoms, including getting rest, preventing dehydration, and taking over-the-counter pain medicine, such as acetaminophen, according to the CDC.

The CDC advises against taking aspirin or other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs until dengue can be ruled out to lower the risk of bleeding.

How Do I Prevent the Virus?

The best prevention method is to avoid bites from midges or mosquitoes. The CDC recommends using insect repellent, installing tight-fitting screens on windows and doors, wearing long-sleeve shirts and pants, and using a fan when outdoors. Currently, there is no evidence of local transmission in the U.S.; all cases have been travel-related.

Dr. Vogels emphasized that travelers should be alert, especially if traveling to areas where there is ongoing transmission. If symptoms appear upon returning to the U.S., they should seek medical attention.

There have also been recent reports of possible vertical transmission, where a pregnant person passes the infection to their baby in utero. This infection may result in adverse pregnancy outcomes, including fetal deaths and congenital malformations. While this has been demonstrated in South America, it is also being investigated in cases from Cuba. Dr. Angarone mentioned that descriptions of fetal demise, miscarriage, or premature labor, and congenital abnormalities have been reported, though not yet confirmed to be caused by the virus.

Experts recommend that travelers, especially those who are older or immunocompromised, take extra precautions to prevent infection. Pregnant individuals should reconsider nonessential travel to countries with an Oropouche virus Level 2 Travel Health Notice, as advised by the CDC.

At least nine people have died after being infected with listeria from Boar’s Head deli meats tied to a massive recall last month, federal health officials said Wednesday.

The new food poisoning toll includes two deaths in South Carolina plus one each in Florida, New Mexico, Tennessee and New York, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. Three deaths were previously confirmed in people who lived in Illinois, New Jersey and Virginia.

At least 57 people have been sickened and hospitalized in the outbreak. Illnesses were reported starting in late May and have continued into August, the agency said. It is the largest listeria outbreak in the U.S. since 2011, and Boar’s Head has recalled more than 7 million pounds of deli products.

Listeria infections are caused by a hardy type of bacteria that can survive and even thrive during refrigeration. An estimated 1,600 people get listeria food poisoning each year and about 260 die, according to the CDC. Infections can be hard to pinpoint because symptoms may occur quickly – or up to 10 weeks after eating contaminated food.

The infections are especially dangerous for older people, those who are pregnant or those with weakened immune systems.

The problem was discovered when a Boar’s Head liverwurst sample collected by health officials in Maryland tested positive for listeria. Further testing showed that the type of bacteria was the same strain causing illnesses in people.

Boar’s Head officials originally recalled liverwurst and other products meant to be sliced in retail delis with sell-by dates from July 25 to Aug. 30. On July 29, the recall was expanded to include all foods produced at the firm’s plant in Jarratt, Virginia. The products included those sliced at deli counters as well as some prepackaged retail sausage, frankfurters and bacon.

All the recalled deli meats have been removed from stores and are no longer available, Boar’s Head officials said on the company’s website. The products were distributed to stores nationwide, as well as to the Cayman Islands, the Dominican Republic, Mexico and Panama, U.S. Agriculture Department officials said.

RELATED: Boar’s Head ready-to-eat deli meats recalled amid multi-state listeria outbreak

CDC officials urged consumers to check their refrigerators for the recalled products. Look for EST. 12612 or P-12612 inside the USDA mark of inspection on the product labels, some of which have sell-by dates that extend into October. Discard recalled foods and thoroughly clean and sanitize refrigerator and other surfaces they touched.

Many illnesses caused by food poisoning are short-lived, but listeria infections can have devastating effects.

In Virginia, Gunter “Garshon” Morgenstein, of Newport News, died on July 18 from a brain infection caused by listeria bacteria, an illness that was confirmed to be linked to the contaminated Boar’s Head products.

Morgenstein, 88, was a German-born Holocaust survivor who moved to Canada and then the U.S. as a young man and later became a flamboyant hair stylist, according to his son, Garshon Morgenstein. During his 70-year career, his father styled celebrities such as the singer Tom Jones and was known for his funny, outgoing personality, Garshon Morgenstein said.

Gunter Morgenstein enjoyed liverwurst, usually spread on bagels, and bought it regularly, insisting on the Boar’s Head brand because he believed it was top quality, his son said.

He fell ill in early July and was hospitalized on July 8, eventually becoming so sick that doctors said he suffered permanent brain damage and was unlikely to recover. Family members withdrew life support, his son said.

After Morgenstein’s death, a review of receipts showed that he bought the recalled deli meat tied to the outbreak on June 30. The family has hired a lawyer, Houston-based Ron Simon.

“It’s really just a senseless accident and tragedy for something that just should not have ever happened,” his son said. “He still had many good years left.”

WASHINGTON — The U.S. surgeon general is calling for a “fundamental shift” in how the mental health and well-being of parents is supported and prioritized.

In a health advisory released Wednesday, Dr. Vivek Murthy, himself a father of two, said parents and caregivers are struggling amid a youth mental health crisis, financial difficulties, social media issues and more.

RESOURCES: Loneliness and social isolation – What to know and how to help promote social connection

“Parents typically don’t talk about this all the time,” Murthy said in an interview that aired Wednesday on “Good Morning America.” “They tend to focus on their kids’ health and well-being, but there’s also this sense of shame and guilt, sometimes around struggling as a parent.”

Citing statistics that show parents are consistently more likely to report high levels of stress than other adults, Murthy wrote in the advisory there needs to be a culture shift and an all-hands-on-deck approach to supporting parents from employers, government agencies, health care providers and local communities.

Parents in the U.S. are overwhelmed and burned out.

According to the advisory, 48% of parents say most days, their stress is completely overwhelming, compared to 26% of other adults without kids.

“Supporting parents and caregivers will require a series of thoughtful policy changes and expanded community programs that will help ensure parents and caregivers can get time off to be with a sick child, secure affordable child care, access reliable mental health care, and benefit from places and initiatives that support social connection and community,” Murthy wrote. “It will also require us to rethink cultural norms around parenting.”

He continued, “Part of that will involve shifting how we value parenting. The work of raising a child is work, no less valuable than the work performed in a paid job and of extraordinary value when it comes to the impact on the future of society.”

According to the advisory, more than 60 million parents in the U.S. live with children under the age of 18.

The U.S. is currently one of seven countries globally that does not have any guaranteed form of universal paid leave, according to a petition to pass paid leave on a federal level in the U.S. that was delivered to all members of Congress in July.

Data released by the U.S. Census Bureau earlier this year found that, on average, families pay between 8% to 19% of their income per child on child care.

Kaitlyn Niles, a 34-year-old working mom of two, told “GMA” that she feels the pressure to balance her career and family and to meet the often unattainable standard of parenting set by society.

“There’s so much pressure on parents to spend all of this quality time with your kids, like sit on the ground and play pretend with your 4-year-old, you know,” Niles said. “And when you think about it logically, it’s like, there’s no way my mom was able to do that with six kids.”

Meanwhile, Eric Martinez, a father of two from Colorado, said he has had to learn new strategies in limiting his kids’ access to technology and social media.

“Navigating those conversations can be challenging because it’s new. It’s new for all of us,” he told “GMA.” “You know, we didn’t share this experience growing up. We didn’t have access to this technology when we were 7, 8, 9, 10 years old, so we’re kind of figuring this out as we go along.”

Murthy stated in this week’s advisory that the stressors parents are experiencing have made them vulnerable to the nationwide epidemic of loneliness and isolation.

“It also turns out that parents are struggling with loneliness at a much higher level than other adults, particularly single parents,” Murthy said, speaking with “GMA.”

In his advisory, Murthy noted that parents and caregivers should remember that it’s OK to set healthy boundaries and take time for themselves, which in turn will make them better supports for their family.

In addition, parents and caregivers are encouraged to “nurture connections” with other parents and caregivers and to seek professional mental health support when needed.

If you or someone you know are experiencing suicidal, substance use or other mental health crises, please call or text 988. You will reach a trained crisis counselor for free, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can also go to 988lifeline.org.