WARNING: More than 100 cases of schistosomiasis have been discovered in Euope

More than 120 cases of schistosomiasis — which is spread by a parasitic flatworm — have been recorded in Europe this year.

Before the recent outbreak, it was thought Europe's waters were too cold for the flatworm — which is normally found in Africa, India, and South America.

Scientists have traced the disease to the French island of Corsica.

Two cases of schistosomiasis — which causes fever, chills, muscle aches, and bloody urine — were found on the island back in 2014.

But this summer, record hot temperatures have been followed by a massive surge in cases of the disease.

Schistosomiasis infects around 230 million people worldwide and is the world's second most widespread parasitic disease after malaria.

Scientists believe the European cases are caused by a flatworm hybrid of two species.

The hybrid is made up of the schistosome parasite, and another which affects cattle.

PARADISE: The French island of Corsica has been affected
DANGER: A US poster warning about so-called 'snail fever'
DEADLY: The disease is most common in Africa, where it is spread by filthy water

Daniel Colley, immunologist at the University of Georgia in Athens, GA, said the outbreak "is a wake-up call that this disease can establish itself wherever the right conditions exist".

He also warned global travel makes such diseases spread more likely.

Humans and mammals infected with schistosomiasis shed the flatworm's eggs in their faeces or urine, and these hatch if they reach freshwater.

There they are transferred to a snail and leave it as tiny larvae.

From there, they burrow into the skin and settle in the blood vessels of a swimming or wading mammal, and can then transfer to humans.

Parasitologist Jerome Boissier discovered the hybrid flatworm is better than its parent species at infecting other snails and mammals.

It comes after a team of Dutch scientists injected patients with schistosomiasis to study its effects.

Christine Faust from the University of Glasgow warned the work is "changing the way we think about disease transmission".