Europe hit by Brazil virus which 'kills people in 20s' as experts fear 'unstoppable' outbreak
"We should definitely be worried," he said. "Things are changing and may become unstoppable," said Dr Danny Altmann, Professor of Immunology at Imperial College London
Europe has been hit by the 'sloth' fever Oropouche for the first time - with fatalities in Brazil sparking fears among experts of an "unstoppable" outbreak.
Two people who visited Cuba were admitted to hospitals in Italy showing symptoms of the disease upon their return, The Lancet reports. A 26-year-old woman was struck down with fever and diarrhoea after her trip to Cuba's Ciego de Avila province, returning to Verona on May 26.
Meanwhile, a 45-year-old man began experiencing symptoms shortly after his summer travels to Havana and Santiago de Cuba, seeking medical attention in Fori, northern Italy, on June 7.
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Dr Danny Altmann, Professor of Immunology at Imperial College London, voiced his concerns to The Telegraph: "We should definitely be worried," he said. "Things are changing and may become unstoppable."
The threat is compounded by the potential impact of global warming, which could increase human exposure to viruses like Oropouche, Birmingham Live reports. In severe instances, the horrid illness could lead to neurological disorders such as meningitis.
Dr Concetta Castilletti, who leads the Virology and Emerging Pathogens Unit at a hospital near Verona, said: "Arboviruses such as Oropouche fever, Dengue, Zika, or Chikungunya, constitute one of the public health emergencies we must get used to living alongside."
She warned: "Climate change and the increase in the movement of human populations risk making viruses [that were] once confined to the tropical belt endemic even in our latitudes."
Brazil has reported the first fatalities from the virus worldwide, with two young women succumbing to the illness.
The victims, a 21-year-old and a 24-year-old, suffered from intense abdominal pain, bleeding, and hypotension before passing away on July 25. Oropouche fever symptoms, which are akin to dengue, include headaches, high temperature, muscle soreness, joint stiffness, nausea, vomiting, colds, or photophobia.
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