There has been a surge of a mystery illness called “mud fever” which leaves the infected with crusty rashes on their genitals
A cow disease is spreading to humans across Europe at concerning rates, a prominent health body has warned. Dermatophilosis, a skin ailment caused by a bacteria usually found in cattle, has been found in 70 humans in Spain, Germany, France and Sweden.
The symptoms of the disease also known as “mud fever” and “rain rot” include mild skin lesions and salty or crusty rashes primarily on thighs and genitals. Several of the most recent “clusters” of infections have been found in “men who have sex with men”, the European Centre for Disease Prevention (ECDC) said.
There was also a batch of cases reported in Norway among individuals practicing martial arts. The ECDC warned the virus may now be spreading from human to human through close physical contact while boffins cannot rule out indirect transmission via contaminated surfaces.
The health body stated: “Four EU countries (France, Germany, Spain, Sweden) have reported 70 cases of skin infections caused by D. congolensis, predominantly among gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men who visited sex-in-premises venues (including adult spas) where close physical contact, including sexual contact, may have occurred.
“These venues can be defined as commercial establishments where men can socialise and engage in consensual sexual activity with other men if they choose to do so. Most cases were diagnosed between December 2025 and June 2026.
“The clinical spectrum included papular, pustular or scaly, pruritic skin lesions, mainly in the genital and facial area, without systemic symptoms. All cases responded well to oral or topical antibiotics, with occasional self-limiting resolution.
“One EEA country (Norway) reported ten additional cases occurred linked to martial arts activities, with exposure taking place either in Norway (summer 2025) or during travel to Thailand (January 2026). In Austria, D. congolensis was identified in ten individuals in 2025 and seven by mid-2026 (mostly in men), based on data from two Vienna laboratories.”
The ECDC added: “The overall risk of this event for the general population is assessed as very low, considering the very low probability of infection with D. congolensis and the very low impact due to the mild clinical course of the disease.”