The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control has discovered a virus in Europe that has not been seen on that continent before.
According to Popular Mechanics, the ECDC has discovered 19 European cases of the sloth virus, also known as the Oropouche virus.
What's happening?
The sloth virus primarily infects sloths and other animals. It's spread through midges and mosquitoes. The symptoms are similar to those of Zika, dengue, and chikungunya viruses, which are mosquito-spreading illnesses.
Most infected will experience general achiness, joint pain, chills, fever, nausea, or headache. More severe symptoms can include abdominal pain, diarrhea, fatigue, and vomiting.
The sloth virus is not new. The first case was discovered near the Oropouche River in Trinidad and Tobago in 1955.
Eight thousand cases were reported between Jan. 1 and Aug. 1, 2024. That's up 832 cases from the previous year.
The illness was historically endemic to the Amazon basin and was mostly found in Brazil, Colombia, Panama, and Peru until 2000.
Why is the sloth virus showing up in different countries concerning?
In June, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found the disease in Cuba. The sloth virus has also been found in Italy, Spain, and Germany. Popular Mechanics reported that most of these cases "were related to travelers who returned to the continent from Cuba."
Two people have died from the 8,000 cases reported between Jan. 1 and Aug. 1, 2024, and eight cases were transferred from mother to fetus, which caused abnormalities or fetus death.
According to Harvard, as temperatures rise, animals migrate to cooler habitats, meaning animals that didn't originally come in contact are now coming in contact with each other. This provides an opportunity for diseases to spread. Deforestation can also cause animals to migrate to new habitats, leading to the same risks.
What's being done about the sloth virus?
According to Popular Mechanics, health officials will monitor this virus.
Harvard also noted that livestock can be a source "for spillover of infections from animals to people." This risk can be prevented by a decrease in meat demand and more sustainable farming practices.
Decreasing polluting gases to slow rising temperatures is also a solution for preventing infectious diseases from spreading.
Meanwhile, researchers at the University of Texas at El Paso have discovered a way to battle malaria-carrying mosquitoes by adding soap to pesticides.
According to a threat assessment brief by the ECDC, the good news is: "Direct, horizontal, human-to-human transmission of the virus has not been documented so far."
You can also help the scientists who are doing this work to mitigate diseases that are spread by midges and mosquitoes by donating to climate causes.
Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the latest innovations improving our lives and shaping our future, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Cool Picks
