Health experts are expressing concern over the resurgence of a 1700s vomiting virus with a ‘bloody poo’ symptom. The World Health Organisation has issued an urgent warning following a significant increase in cases of dengue fever, a rare disease first observed in 1779.

Dengue fever is known to cause symptoms such as fever, headaches, bleeding from the mouth and nose, vomiting, and serious heart and muscle issues. The disease has been identified to leave those affected with blood-filled stool.

According to the WHO, there has been an ‘unexpected’ surge in cases, resulting in a record-breaking five million cases in 2023, along with approximately 5,000 dengue-related deaths. The majority of cases, around 4.1 million, were reported in the Americas, with the remaining cases originating from Africa, South-East Asia, Western Pacific, and the Eastern Mediterranean regions.

WHO officials have designated dengue as a high-risk disease at a global level. The last reported cases in the UK were in 2018, and while there is no comprehensive data beyond that year, the risk assessment remains high.