A few weeks ago, the CDC issued a new health advisory to public health officials warning them to be on the lookout for yet another potentially deadly virus, though we don't seem to be anywhere near pandemic levels at the moment. This isn't some new variant of COVID, however. It's not even the bird flu, which has made the jump from cows to a handful of beef and dairy industry workers. This is the Oropouche virus (great... now we're all going to have to learn how to spell that) and it can lead to what is commonly referred to as sloth fever. The majority of people who become infected will not suffer serious medical consequences and generally recover within a few days to a month. However, a smaller percentage can develop very serious secondary ailments and even die. Just to put some icing on this already nauseating cake, there is currently no vaccine that prevents contraction of the Oropouche virus and no medication capable of treating it. The largest number of cases reported thus far in the U.S. have shown up in Florida, but more on that in a moment. (CBS News)

The Oropouche virus, a potentially fatal disease also referred to as "sloth fever," has made its way to the United States, prompting questions about what Americans should know.

On Tuesday, Florida's health department reported 30 cases of Oropouche fever in the state, all linked to travel from Cuba. There has also been one case reported in New York following travel.

Earlier this month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a health advisory to notify clinicians and public health authorities of an increase in the virus.

Some of you might be thinking that you've dodged a bullet here because you don't work around sloths and they're not native to where you live. Sadly, that's not the case because sloth fever is somewhat similar to the black plague in terms of transmission. People used to believe the plague was carried by rats, but it was actually carried by infected fleas that traveled on the rats. The Oropouche virus similarly is carried by midges and mosquitos in forested areas where they transmit it primarily to non-human vertebrate hosts such as birds, rodents, and (of course) sloths. People who travel to such areas and are bitten by the mosquitos can then carry it back home with them.

That brings us to the question of why most of the reported cases thus far have been seen in Florida. Very little of the United States is a suitable habitat for the insects that carry the virus or the normal animals they prey upon. But Cuba is prime sloth fever territory. When people travel from Cuba to the United States (typically Florida), they may bring the infection with them. The same can be said for Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, and Colombia. Now stop and ask yourself something. In addition to all of the illegal migrants attempting to reach Florida from Cuba, what are some of the countries that other migrants pass through on their way to the southern border? The virus has also been identified in Venezuela. I'm fairly sure the picture is coming clear for most of you.

Thankfully, once patients are away from the breeding grounds of the pests that carry it, further transmission is rare. The CDC claims that "No evidence of local transmission currently exists within the United States or its territories." That's the good news unless you happen to be one of the unlucky lottery losers who wind up catching it. What should you do if you think you might have been infected? The symptoms are mostly indistinguishable from the common flu. Take the same precautions that you normally would. Report your situation to your doctor, don't go to work or school, and hope for the best. 

But while you're sitting at home with a hot water bottle and praying that you don't wake up having transformed into a giant sloth, just keep one thing in mind. This is yet another unpleasant and potentially deadly outcome of the Biden administration's open border policies. There may not be a cure for sloth fever, but there is a test for the virus. Nobody should be allowed in without having that test along with all of the other medical vetting that isn't being done on these tens of millions of illegal immigrants. Enough is enough.