Health officials have warned that a deadly infection spread by tick bites has been detected in several parts of Britain for the first time.
Three cases of tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) in patients have been confirmed by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) in Yorkshire, Norfolk and the Dorset and Hampshire borders.
Further tests on ticks across the country found the disease – which until now was most common in parts of Europe and Asia – is now circulating in the UK, where experts have warned that “TBEV is not likely to go away”.
A surveillance program was set up, with the NHS requesting that samples from suspected cases be sent to the UKHSA.
Public health officials say the risk is low, but urge pedestrians to take precautions and seek medical help if they become ill following being bitten.
Dr Helen Calaby, from the UKSA, said: “Although the risk to the general public is very low, it is important that people take precautions to protect themselves from tick bites, such as covering their ankles and legs, using insect repellent and checking clothing and the body for ticks, especially when exposed to ticks. Visiting areas with tall grasses such as forests, swamplands, and gardens.”
The virus usually causes mild flu-like symptoms, but it can lead to severe infections of the central nervous system, such as meningitis or encephalitis.
More serious cases may include a high fever with headache, a stiff neck, confusion or impaired consciousness.
It is believed that infected ticks may have been brought to the UK by migratory birds.
Scientists suspected the virus had arrived in the UK in 2019, following two cases, but the complexities involved in testing mean this cannot be confirmed.
Now the first confirmed locally acquired case of TBEV has been identified in a man who was bitten by a tick in Yorkshire.
Another potential human case was detected in the Loch Erne region of Scotland, according to research presented at the European Conference on Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID) in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Vaccines can provide protection, but only for a limited time, and there is no cure.
The virus is found naturally in some ticks and is transmitted to humans if they are bitten (only if the tick is infected), usually on the bare arms and legs while walking in the bushes.
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