The deadly West Nile virus which has already made its way to Europe is posing a ‘growing threat’ as birds begin to drop dead.
The mosquito-borne disease has spread across the continent, killing five people in Spain and 12 others in Greece last year.
But officials are worried it will have a similar impact to that of Usutu and kill even more, which is part of the shame viral family.
Usutu has spread quickly among the bird population, and has caused the number of blackbirds to drop by 40% since 2018.
Arran Folly, from the UK’s Animal and Plant Health Agency, said: ‘If that amount of humans dropped dead in London, you would know about it quickly.
‘The same mosquitoes that can transmit Usutu typically can transmit West Nile, and the same birds which act as hosts [for Usutu] can also act as hosts of West Nile,’ he told The Star.
What is West Nile virus?
West Nile virus is spread by the Culex mosquito and first reached Spain in 2004 with horses being most affected.
Elderly people and those with underlying health conditions like diabetes and cancer are most at risk and it can cause meningitis in children.
Symptoms include fever, headache, body aches, vomiting, diarrhea, or rash.
There are no vaccines to prevent or medicines to treat West Nile virus disease.
Most people infected with it do not feel sick. About 1 in 5 people who are infected develop a fever and other symptoms. About 1 out of 150 infected people develop a serious, sometimes fatal, illness.
Wetlands and swimming pools in countryside areas have been identified as the places where the mosquitoes carrying the virus are most likely to be found.
People become infected with the virus when mosquitoes feed on infected birds and then bite people.
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has reported 713 cases and 67 of West Nile virus across nine different European countries.
Last year’s main hotspots for the virus were Italy, Greece, Romania, Hungary, and Spain.
The spread of Usutu indicates that mosquito-borne viruses now pose a growing threat to humans and animals in the country.
Its arrival into the UK marked the first time a disease caused by mosquito bites has been transmitted from animal to animal.
The West Nile virus also spreads in a similar way, and requires the same environmental conditions.
The latest people who have died in Spain include a 71-year-old man who was admitted to intensive care in a hospital in Seville.
The age of the other person is not yet known but both lived in Coria del Rio on the banks of the Guadalquivir River.
Granada Romero Ruiz, 86, died on July 19 after she was admitted to hospital on July 11.
Her son Antonio Pineda said she was in good health before the mosquito bite.
La Puebla del Rio Town Hall, said in a statement on X: ‘We deeply regret the death of Granada, affected by West Nile virus.
‘We will work tirelessly so that all public providers do the utmost against this virus and there is a permanent strategy in place to tackle mosquitos.’
The other two victims lived in Dos Hermanas and Coria del Rio.
Tourists travelling to Spain have been warned about the virus over the last few years.
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