Terrifying 'sloth fever' virus has spread to humans with 19 victims in Europe so far - and now experts warn: 'We should be worried... this could become unstoppable.'
A debilitating virus originating in sloths and spread by insect bites, including midges and mosquitos, has been reported for the first time in Europe.
The Oropouche virus has been reported in 19 people in the past two months, according to the European Center for Disease Control (ECDC).
Twelve were reported in Spain, five in Italy, and two in Germany. There is no vaccine for the disease which originates in pale-throated sloths, non-human primates and birds.
Experts say the virus comes from the same family of diseases as Zika virus and Dengue, which are both potentially deadly.
Tell-tale signs of Oropouche include headaches, nausea, vomiting, and muscle and joint pains.
There is no vaccine for the disease which originates in pale-throated sloths, non-human primates and birds
Dr Danny Altmann, a professor of Immunology at Imperial College London, told The Telegraph: 'We should definitely be worried. Things are changing and may become unstoppable.'
Symptoms typically start four to eight days after being bitten and in severe cases illness can result in meningitis, according to the NHS Travax website.
Although potentially deadly, the ECDC said fatal outcomes are extremely rare and recovery from the disease is common. In most cases symptoms subside within four days.
Outbreaks of the virus to date have been reported in several countries across South America, Central America and the Caribbean.
In 2024 specific outbreaks have been recorded in Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Peru, and more recently in Cuba.
Eighteen of the cases recorded in Europe reported recent travel to Cuba and one case in Italy had travelled to Brazil.
According to a report in the Lancet, on July 25 two deaths caused by Oropouche were reported for the first time in Brazil in two young women who had no other underlying health conditions.
Although the cases remain low in Europe, between January and mid-July this year more than 8,000 cases have been recorded in Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Columbia and Cuba.
Due to these high numbers the ECDC has said the likelihood of infection for EU citizens travelling to or residing in epidemic areas is currently assessed as moderate.
The European authority is advising those travelling to affected areas to wear insect repellent and long-sleeved shirts and long trousers to reduce the risk of bites.
The strain behind the recent outbreak was first spotted in the tiny village of Oropouche, in Trinidad and Tobago, back in 1955.
Five years later, during the construction of the Belem-Brasilia highway, a sloth was tested as carrying Oropouche.
Within a year people in the area became ill with the virus and since there have been around 30 outbreaks, all centred in the Amazon basin.
It's unclear which insects spread the virus in the jungle where it circulates between sloths, birds and primates. But in an urban setting midges and mosquitos spread the disease among humans.
But due to deforestation and increased urbanisation, host animals such as sloths are more displaced, causing midges and mosquitoes to feed on humans rather than wildlife.
Soaring temperatures caused by climate change has also meant midges are flying further afield and increased rainfall and flooding provides the perfect breading ground for the biting insects.
