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Manal Mohammed, Senior Lecturer, Medical Microbiology, University of Westminster

Outbreak of insect-borne illness in South America linked with fatalities – as first-ever cases confirmed in Europe

Being bitten by an infected mosquito or midge can lead to Oropouche virus disease. nechaevkon/ Shutterstock

Health officials have issued a warning to travellers after 19 cases of the insect-borne illness Oropouche virus were confirmed for the first time ever in Europe. Those who had tested positive for the virus had recently returned from holiday in Cuba and Brazil.

Parts of South America and Cuba are currently in the midst of an ongoing outbreak of Oropouche virus, with cases many times higher than normal. The first ever deaths from Oropouche virus were also confirmed recently in Brazil, adding to concerns about the current outbreak.

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