Location where deadly disease found in uk mosquitos for first time

WEST NILE VIRUS STARTS OFF WITH A FLU-LIKE ILLNESS WITH BODY ACHES AND VOMITING AND CAN LEAD TO FATAL MENINGITIS 11:34, 21 May 2025 Scientists have revealed the location where the deadly

West Nile Virus has been found in the UK for the first time. It is transmitted by mosquitos and it has been discovered in insects in England. A research programme by the UK Health Security

Agency (UKHSA) and the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) has identified fragments of West Nile Virus (WNV) genetic material in mosquitoes collected in Britain for the first time. West

Nile Virus is a vector borne disease belonging to the Flaviviridae family, which also includes the viruses that cause dengue and yellow fever. It is usually found in birds, and typically

circulates through bird-biting mosquitoes. In rare cases mosquitoes can transmit the virus to humans or horses. Symptoms, when they occur, start 2-14 days after the mosquito bite. Those who

become ill, can experience a flu-like illness with fever, headache, body aches and vomiting/diarrhoea. Some people may develop a rash. Very rarely WNV also causes infection of the brain and

its lining, (encephalitis or meningitis) and this may be fatal. The virus is endemic in various regions across the world, including Europe, Africa, the Middle East, West and Central Asia,

and North America, as well as South America, USA and Australia. The geographic range of West Nile Virus has expanded in recent years to more northerly and western regions of mainland Europe.

But it has never been found in the UK before. The fragments were detected through the Vector-Borne RADAR (Real-time Arbovirus Detection And Response) programme by APHA, using polymerase

chain reaction (PCR) testing, in 2 samples of Aedes vexans mosquitoes collected by UKHSA from wetlands on the River Idle near Gamston ( Retford ), Nottinghamshire, during July 2023. Article

continues below This is the first evidence of West Nile Virus detected in a mosquito in the UK. A further 198 pools from the same site tested negative The UKHSA has assessed the risk to the

general public as very low, but is issuing advice to healthcare professionals so that patients with encephalitis of unknown cause can be tested as a precaution through UKHSA’s Rare and

Imported Pathogens Laboratory. There have been no cases of locally acquired West Nile Virus detected in humans or horses in the UK to date, although 7 travel-associated cases have occurred

since 2000. Based on available surveillance, there is no evidence to suggest ongoing circulation of the virus in birds or mosquitos in the UK. Disease surveillance and control activities are

being enhanced in light of the findings. Currently, the main risk of West Nile Virus for UK residents continues to be travel to endemic areas overseas. Dr Meera Chand, UKHSA Deputy Director

for travel health, zoonoses, emerging infections, respiratory and tuberculosis, said: "While this is the first detection of West Nile Virus in mosquitoes in the UK so far, it is not

unexpected as the virus is already widespread in Europe. "The risk to the general public is currently assessed as very low. Vector research of this kind is designed to give us early

warning of potential threats so that we can enhance our disease surveillance and control activities and ensure patients receive appropriate testing." Dr Arran Folly, Arbovirologist at

APHA and lead of the Vector-Borne RADAR project said: "The detection of West Nile virus in the UK is part of a wider changing landscape, where, in the wake of climate change

mosquito-borne diseases are expanding to new areas. Only through continued surveillance can we assess the risk to animal and public health. "Our primary focus is to understand how

viruses move into the country and how they are transmitted. Combined this can help us identify areas that may be at increased risk of outbreaks." As temperatures warm due to climate

change, tick and mosquito species not currently native to the UK will begin to find the UK’s climate more bearable making it easier for them to survive, reproduce and establish a local

population. Other species of mosquito, some of which have the potential to transmit infectious disease, can arrive in the UK in several ways, such as by becoming trapped in cars and lorries

crossing the border into the UK. Officials say they may also be transported through trade channels in containers which are shipped internationally. UKHSA’s wider vector surveillance

programmes involve monitoring transport hubs such as motorway service stations and truck stops, as well as other high-risk sites, to ensure that these invasive insects can be detected and

eradicated before they disseminate more widely. Dr Jolyon Medlock, Head of Medical Entomology and Zoonoses Ecology at UKHSA, added: Our surveillance, which led to this discovery, monitors

for mosquitoes across Britain to understand the distribution, density and activity across the country. We also monitor mosquito nuisance biting, so anyone experiencing this can contact our

mosquito surveillance scheme and provide an image or sample. WHERE ARE MOSQUITO HOT SPOTS Mosquitoes breed in a range of natural wetlands, but can also be common in gardens, breeding in

container habitats like water butts and buckets. Reducing opportunities for some mosquito species to access these containers with lids, or turning them over, can reduce mosquitoes numbers

around our homes. Article continues below Mosquitoes in the UK are also commonly found in wet woodland areas and various aquatic habitats, including ponds, ditches, marshes, and even garden

water butts or cisterns. To avoid being bitten by a mosquito when in these types of areas, wear long-sleeved clothing and trousers to cover your arms and legs, use insect repellent on your

skin (ideally one that contains the ingredient DEET), close windows and doors whenever possible, or use blinds or screens.