Forum | Mosquito-borne viruses in the UK - Part 2 by StokieBlue

Forum index | Previous Thread | Next thread

Mosquito-borne viruses in the UK - Part 2 21:13 - May 21 with 317 views

Following on from this thread last week:

Mosquito-borne viruses in the UK by StokieBlue 15 May 8:23
Usutu virus which affects Blackbirds is now in Britain. It was first detected after a heatwave in 2020 and has spread across southern England since then.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cj3x6v05ly6o

It's a real-world example of how climate change could bring diseases to the UK through vectors like mosquitos which wouldn't have been found here previously.

SB

It's taken less time than expected to find a human virus (West Nile virus) with a mosquito vector which is only here due to climate change:

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2025/may/21/west-nile-virus-detected-in-uk-m

This could be a real issue going forward as the climate continues to change.

SB

Mosquito-borne viruses in the UK - Part 2 on 08:15 - May 22 with 132 views

CoachRob

A team of microbiologists at Exeter have been investigating Vibrio populations in UK coastal and estuarine waters. Vibrio are a type of bacteria that require a sea surface temperature (SST) of 18C or greater and a salinity level below 28 practical salinity units. Climate change is driving SST's higher around the UK and we already observe temperatures above 18C in July and August along the South Coast. Increasing intensification of rainfall can aid a reduction in salinity.

Vibrio parahaemolyticus, which can cause gastroenteritis, is now being found in UK waters.

There is a piece here on the BBC on rising sea surface temperatures around the UK.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c7533y6l3k0o

Forum index | Previous Thread | Next thread