US EditionWest Nile virus found in UK mosquitos for first time
- In July 2023, researchers from UKHSA and APHA identified genetic material from West Nile Virus in mosquito specimens gathered in Nottinghamshire, marking the first detection of the virus within mosquitoes in the UK.
- This detection follows the geographic expansion of West Nile Virus into northern Europe, influenced by warming temperatures due to climate change making the UK climate more suitable for mosquito survival.
- The identified virus fragments were found in two samples of native Aedes vexans mosquitoes from wetlands near the River Idle, with no evidence of virus circulation in birds or human cases in the UK so far.
- Dr Meera Chand stated that the likelihood of the public being affected remains minimal at this time, while Dr Arran Folly highlighted that climate change is driving the spread of mosquito-borne illnesses into new regions.
- Ongoing mosquito surveillance aims to monitor distribution and activity to provide early warning and guide testing and control, though travel to endemic areas remains the main risk for UK residents.
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UK government is wasting time and money on PCR testing tens of thousands of mosquitoes
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 genetic material in mosquitoes collected in Britain. They were able to do this by deploying the test, test, test approach, using polymerase chain reaction (“PCR”) testing of 32,000 mosquitoes. If
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