The Western Nile Virus was detected to British mosquitoes for the first time, said UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).
He added that although the virus could make people seriously sick in rare cases, the risk for the general public is “very low” and there is no evidence that the virus spreads in mosquitoes or people in the United Kingdom.
The virus, distributed via mosquitoes biting birds, is in many regions of the world, including continental Europe.
Climate change and other factors have pushed mosquitoes – and the diseases they have carried out – further north in recent years.
To date, no human case of Western Nile virus has been acquired in the United Kingdom – although there have been seven cases of travel linked to other countries since 2000.
The Western Nile Virus is endemic in several regions of the world, including parts of South America and Europe, and has developed in recent years.
A research program for UKHSA and the animal and plant Health Agency (APHA) found fragments of the mosquito virus collected in ponds near Retford, Nottinghamshire in 2023.
“Although it is the first detection of the Western Nile virus in mosquitoes in the United Kingdom so far, it is not unexpected because the virus is already widespread in Europe,” said Dr. Meera Chand, Deputy Director of Health of Travel and Ukhsa.
Dr. Arran Folly, the head of the project that found the virus, said that its detection was part of a “wider evolution landscape, where, following illnesses that cause mosquitoes, develop in new areas”.
While the Aedes vexans The mosquito is from Great Britain, he added that warming temperatures can bring non-native species to the United Kingdom and, with them, the potential of an infectious disease.
The mosquito is often found in wetlands. Experts recommend getting rid of stagnant water sources – where they are reproducing – and taking personal measures such as the use of a repulsive of mosquitoes and bed nets.
Last year, Demonstrations took place in Seville, SpainAfter the death of five people infected with the disease.
The Western Nile Virus causes either very minor symptoms, or none at all – but about 20% of cases may experience headache, high fever and skin problems. In rare cases, he can kill.
