LONDON 25 Feb (ANA) - The deadly coronavirus is sweeping across Europe after an outbreak in Italy  - as now Switzerland, Austria, Croatia and mainland Spain have recorded their first cases of the killer infection.

 

At least three of the new cases – two in Austria and one in Croatia – are young people who have travelled to northern Italy, which has been ravaged by the never-before-seen virus. Officials have yet to confirm if the other two cases – one in Switzerland and one in Catalonia – were infected in Italy, Asia or elsewhere. 

 

Italy has seen a dramatic surge in cases since Friday, with the number of infections soaring from just six to 283. Seven people have died there. 

 

Italy's spike in cases  comes after thousands of British families returned form half-term breaks and school skiing trips. Easter holidays – another popular time to go abroad – is just five weeks away. 

 

More than 80,000 people across the world have been infected, while at least 2,700 are known to have died from the pneumonia-causing virus (ANA)

FA/ANA/25 February 2020-----