The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has detected Aedes aegypti mosquitoes and larvae at residential properties in East London. It is the first time this species has been found breeding in the UK, and the fourth modern-day detection of Aedes …
Ticks are parasites that can transmit infections to humans, including Lyme disease, Alpha-gal syndrome and tick-borne encephalitis. Visit our blog post to find answers to common questions about ticks, the risks they pose, and how to protect yourself.
Lyme disease is a bacterial infection that can be transmitted to humans through the bite of infected ticks, usually outdoors in green spaces. Visit our blog post on ticks to learn how to avoid them or remove them if you are bitten.
West Nile virus (WNV) is a virus spread primarily through the bites of infected mosquitoes. It belongs to the same family of viruses as dengue, yellow fever and Japanese encephalitis. The virus circulates naturally between birds and mosquitoes, and humans or horses can be infected when bitten by a mosquito that has previously fed on …
Tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) is a viral infection that spreads through tick bites. Although it is common in many parts of the world, including several European countries, in the last few years, ticks carrying TBEV have been found in England.
As West Nile virus is detected in mosquitoes collected in the UK for the first time, we take a look at how UKHSA is protecting the UK from vector-borne diseases
In this blog post we take a behind-the-scenes look at the Rare and Imported Pathogens Laboratory (RIPL), where our scientists work to safeguard public health from rare and deadly diseases. Our laboratories RIPL is the UK’s frontline clinical diagnostic laboratory …
As we release data showing a significant rise in travel-related infections like dengue and malaria, we speak to Colin Johnston, Senior Medical Entomologist at UKHSA, about his team’s work on invasive mosquito surveillance. Read on to find out how we …
This post was last checked in June 2025. As our world becomes increasingly interconnected and the climate changes, the UK faces challenges that we might associate with more exotic destinations. One such challenge is the potential introduction of invasive mosquito …
