Is it offensive?

Someone I’m acquainted with recently caught up with me, and we started talking about mutual friends’ relationships. When we got to one of my friends who is currently in an interracial relationship, she said “Jungle fever seems to be spreading quick.”

I immediately bristled and rapidly ended that topic. Calling an attraction to someone of color “Jungle Fever” just seems so wrong and demeaning to me.

Is this term truly offensive to POC? I’d assume so, but it’s not my place to decide what is and isn’t offensive to y’all.