Beware of “sloth fever.” Experts say that a new virus is springing up in Europe from travelers to Cuba and Brazil. It is called the Oropouche virus (OROV).
The disease is in the same family as Zika virus and, like Zika, can cause miscarriages and birth defects. It is not currently transmissible from person to person. It is mainly spread by insect bites but it originates in sloths, hence the name.
Symptoms can include headache, fever, muscle aches, stiff joints, nausea, vomiting, chills, or sensitivity to light. Most people survive this but the first deaths were reported in Brazil last month and a pregnant woman lost her baby at the 30th week of pregnancy in June.
