BRITS heading to Latin America have been urged to "take precautions" after 19 cases of 'sloth' fever were detected in tourists heading home to Europe. Spain, Italy and Germany all reported infections in patients who had recently travelled to Cuba and Brazil where the bug called Oropouch virus is circulating. In June and July, 12 cases were reported in Spain, five in Italy, and two in Germany, according to the European Center for Disease Control (ECDC).
The disease is mainly spread by insect bites - including mosquitos - and originates in sloths - hence the nickname: sloth fever. Currently, there is no evidence to suggest the virus can spread between people. There are no vaccines to treat the virus, which comes from the same family of diseases that includes Zika virus and Dengue Fever .
Read more on sloth fever European health chiefs warned of a "moderate" threat to travellers visiting Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Peru and Cuba. It also cautioned pregnant women that current data suggests the virus could lead to miscarriage and/or birth defects. "The impact of OROV infection for pregnant women, foetuses and newborns could therefore be higher than for the general population, although this is still under investigation," they said.
Prof Francois Balloux director of the University College London's Genetics Institute, told the Sun: "In all likelihood, we will see more cases of Oropouche virus [in Europe] over the coming months as the current outbreak is still ongoing." Most read in He.