RIO DE JANEIRO — Brazil confirmed the world's first deaths from Oropouche fever, the Health Ministry said Thursday.

Two women under the age of 30 living in the northeastern state of Bahia became the first fatal victims of the viral disease, said the ministry in a statement.

The patients "had signs and symptoms similar to severe dengue fever," it said.

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"Until now, there was no report in the world's scientific literature on the occurrence of deaths from the disease," it added.

Authorities are investigating another suspected death from Oropouche fever in the southern state of Santa Catarina, as well as six possible cases of vertical transmission (from mother to child) that led to two fetal deaths.

Oropouche fever was first detected in Brazil in a sloth in 1960. Since then, other cases have been recorded, mainly in the Amazon region and other Latin American countries.

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Brazil has registered 7,236 cases so far this year, the ministry said.