A virus nicknamed Sloth virus has been seen in Europe for the first time. The Sloth Fever Virus gets its name from the slow-moving mammal, as they are thought to be an animal host for it.
Patients usually develop a fever, with common symptoms including rashes, headaches, and muscle or joint pain.
It’s spread through biting midges. The current outbreak has spread across South and Central America and the Caribbean.
Brazil reported its first known deaths—two women in their 20s who had contracted the virus.
There have been 12 cases reported in Spain, five in Italy, and two in Germany. So far, 18 of the cases recorded in Europe have traveled to Cuba, and one has traveled to Brazil.
The risk to travelers heading to the Americas has been described as moderate for the moment, and officials advise those traveling to affected areas to take personal protective measures.
Let’s not worry ourselves yet, though—so far, there is no evidence the Sloth Virus travels from human to human, so the UK Health Security Agency has assessed that transmission in the UK is unlikely.