Overview

• The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) confirmed the first detection of West Nile Virus genetic material in Aedes vexans mosquitoes collected in Nottinghamshire in July 2023.
• No human or equine cases of local transmission have been identified, and there is no evidence of ongoing virus circulation in UK birds or mosquito populations.
• The risk to the general public remains very low, but healthcare professionals have been advised to test patients with unexplained encephalitis for the virus as a precaution.
• Experts link the virus's emergence in the UK to climate change, which is expanding the geographic range of mosquito-borne diseases into new regions.
• Enhanced disease surveillance and control measures are being implemented to monitor and mitigate potential risks from the virus.