Brazilian health authorities report first known cases of 'flurona' in the Americas

Brazilian health authorities confirmed the country’s first known cases of “flurona,” a simultaneous COVID-19 and seasonal flu infection — marking the first reported cases in the Western Hemisphere.

A total of three cases have so far been confirmed in the city of Fortaleza and reports suggest that those infected include two one-year-old children and a 52-year-old man, Folha de S. Paulo reported.

Similarly, a 16-year-old boy tested positive for the new, enigmatic disease in Rio de Janeiro. The teen’s mother, however, told Brazilian TV station Globo that the teen was only experiencing minor symptoms and had previously received both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, as well as a flu shot.

"It is important to emphasize that at this time there are no published scientific studies confirming the clinical or immunological implications of co-infection," Brazilian health authorities said in a statement.

Israel reported its first case of flurona on Monday after an unvaccinated, pregnant Israeli woman was diagnosed with the double infection after arriving at the Rabin Medical Center in Petah Tikvah last week.

Reports of individuals contracting both illnesses first surfaced in the U.S. and Spain in the winter of 2020, but cases have since been rare and not officially documented.