Kent 'perfect place' for new mosquitos to enter UK, academic says
The UKHSA says the risk to the general public of West Nile virus is "very low" and there is "no evidence to suggest ongoing circulation of the virus" in UK mosquitos or birds.West Nile virus typically causes either very minor symptoms or none at all, but can sometimes make people seriously ill.The virus - found in many parts of the world, including Africa, South America, and mainland Europe - can kill in rare cases through serious brain illnesses.No human cases of West Nile virus have been acquired in the UK, but seven cases of the disease linked to travel abroad have been recorded since 2000.No specific treatment or vaccines exist for humans.The virus fragments were found in Aedes vexans mosquitos, which Prof Ball says is "that pesky mosquito that you sometimes find in woodlands next to small shallow puddles".He added: "We know that these virus can often replicate in different insect species. They're pretty promiscuous in terms of the insects that they can replicate in."
Prof Ball urged the public to "try and avoid" mosquito bites, which can happen at all times of day, by "covering up or using a good insect repellent".Howard Carter, the creator of Incognito insect repellent, said "a lot of people do get bitten" in Kent and that Brits "do not take enough precautions when they go abroad" either."Kent residents, more than any other county" need to take precautions, he told BBC Radio Kent on Wednesday, because "one day either Dengue or West Nile virus will be in the UK and that's an outbreak".
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
8 minutes ago
- BBC News
One in six South West children 'bitten by a pet'
One in six children in south-west England have been bitten by a pet - with 37% of those requiring medical attention, research has animal welfare charities working together as the Pet Education Partnership (Pep) said a survey of more than 1,000 children aged seven to 11 suggested 17% had been bitten, with 54% involving a the research, Pep has urged parents not to leave their children unsupervised with pets and be aware of how to prevent dog bites in Sam Gaines, of the RSPCA, said: "These shocking figures are understandably worrying and highlight why it's so important that parents and guardians are aware of how to prevent dog bites." Pep is a coalition of Blue Cross, Cats Protection, Dogs Trust, PDSA, RSPCA, SSPCA, USPCA and Woodgreen organisations have been providing sessions at primary schools to help teach children how to stay safe around charities hope if young people have a better understanding of the way animals behave, they will know when they are happy and in turn lead to fewer incidents. David Allen, from Pep, said said the coalition had used the research to develop the training course."A lot of the time, owners just think about themselves," Mr Allen said."There's plenty of evidence that suggesting having a pet is great for humans."What we're trying to do is counterbalance it so that it is great for pets as well." Children from Bishop Henderson Primary School in Taunton said they found the session they did at the RSPCA centre at West Hatch very useful."We've learned lots about how to approach a dog safely and how to ask for consent from both the owner and the dog," said 10-year-old Zara, who has a pet dog at 11, who also has a pet dog, added: "I didn't know all of it, so it is really helpful people telling us how to understand dogs and approach them."
Daily Mail
8 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Mysterious condition reappears as Trump visits Scotland amid concerns over his chronic diagnosis
Donald Trump appeared with makeup on his hands again during his trip to Scotland just weeks after the White House explained the president's mysterious bruises. The Daily Mail first reported on Trump's mysterious hand bruising back in February, revealing that Trump's glad-handing had brought on the result. Earlier this month, Trump, 79, appeared at a White House press gaggle with what looked like makeup covering a patch on the back of his hand, sparking concerns. 'This is consistent with minor soft-tissue irritation from frequent handshaking and use of aspirin, which is taken as part of a standard cardiovascular prevention regimen. This is a well-known and benign side effect of aspirin therapy,' White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt recently divulged. The president has spent the past few days in Scotland meeting with everyone from UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. The makeup covering those bruises has been visible in multiple press photos throughout Trump's trip. Once again, the president appears to be using a lot of concealer to keep the bruise from showing up when he announced a new trade deal with the EU. The makeup appeared to be concealing a raised circular area of skin that Trump's team may have been eager to hide. Earlier this month, in a surprise statement from the podium during a press briefing, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters the president was checked out by his doctor after noticeable 'swelling' and revealed that Trump has been diagnosed with 'chronic venous insufficiency.' The splotch has been visible on other occasions throughout the past month, sparking a new round of questions about the cause. The makeup appeared to be concealing a raised circular area of skin. Leavitt said during her rare medical update that the president recently ' noticed mild swelling in the lower legs' and 'in keeping with routine medical care and out of the abundance of caution,' he was evaluated by the White House medical unit. He underwent a 'comprehensive examination' which included 'diagnostic vascular studies.' 'Bilateral, lower extremity ultrasounds were performed and revealed chronic venous insufficiency,' Leavitt stated. She said it's a 'common condition' in individuals over the age of 70 and there was 'no evidence' of deep vein thrombosis or arterial disease. 'The president remains in excellent health,' Leavitt said overall. 'Importantly, there was no evidence of deep vein thrombosis or arterial disease,' she added. Leavitt said in response to a question that there was 'no discomfort from the president at all.' She then pointed to his daily activities. 'And you probably all see that on a day-to-day basis, he's working around the clock. As for the treatment, I can defer to the president's physician,' she said. The letter released by White House Physician Sean Barbarella, DO, references 'mild swelling' in Trump's lower legs, and states the diagnosis emerged after a series of vascular studies. Neither Leavitt nor the letter addressed whether Trump would have to modify any of his routines, which include frequent golfing at his private courses on weekends, and his trademark dance moves to 'Y.M.C.A.' when he addresses rally crowds. Leavitt said there was 'no discomfort' for the president at all. Officials have previously mentioned Trump's frequent handshaking – Trump regularly interacts with a large number of people at White House events and when he travels – as the cause of the bruising, but have not previously identified the aspirin issue. The bruising had stayed with Trump from the presidential campaign through his return to the White House. It had even been spotted during Trump's Manhattan court fight in the Stormy Daniels case. According to the Cleveland Clinic, chronic venous insufficiency occurs when leg veins are damaged, making it more difficult for blood to return to the heart. It 'causes blood to pool in your leg veins, leading to high pressure in those veins.' The condition is fairly common, affecting one in 20 adults, and the risk increases with age. It can lead to achy legs, a feeling of 'pins and needles,' cramping, swelling and itching, as well as 'Leathery-looking skin on your legs.' Up to half the people who have had deep vein thrombosis later develop post-thrombotic syndrome within a year or two. That relates to scar tissue that can develop after a blood clot. Trump was the oldest person to take the Oath of Office when he was sworn in in January at age 78. He has said repeatedly that his predecessor Joe Biden, 82, had no idea what he was doing and this week opened a probe into an alleged 'cover-up' through his use of an autopen for a series of commutations. Trump reposted an item in May calling Biden a 'decrepit corpse,' days after Biden got a prostate cancer diagnosis. Trump has made a point of demonstrating his own physical and mental vigor – taking question after question from reporters inside the Oval Office, sometimes speaking for up to an hour.
Telegraph
8 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Prostate cancer checks soar after Sir Chris Hoy reveals diagnosis
Thousands more men are having checks for prostate cancer since Sir Chris Hoy revealed he had been diagnosed with the disease and was terminally ill. The six-time Olympic cycling gold medallist was told in 2023 that he was terminally ill with cancer that originated in his prostate, and shared his diagnosis publicly last year. Despite a family history of prostate cancer – which also affected his father and grandfather – Sir Chris was never offered the PSA test that could have detected it. New NHS data show almost 5,000 extra men have been referred for urological cancer in the six months after Sir Chris, 49, spoke out, a trend described by experts as 'staggering'. The figures, from October 2024 to March 2025, show 138,734 men were given an urgent referral for urological cancers, with prostate cancer the main form of disease. This amounts to an extra 4,962 cases compared with the same six-month period in 2023-24. Separate data show a huge increase in the number of men with a family history of prostate cancer who have assessed their own risk. The number of men with such a history who have used an online risk checker to assess their chances of the disease rose by 77 per cent over the period. Telegraph launches screening campaign The findings have been released as The Telegraph launches a campaign calling for the introduction of targeted screening for prostate cancer. Men are not offered tests currently, even if they have a family history of the disease. Experts believe there is a growing case for targeted screening, meaning that PSA blood tests would be offered to those at heightened risk of the disease. Peter Kyle, the Science Secretary, hopes to harness AI and data to improve prostate cancer screening for high-risk men which factors in family history, genetics, demographics and other factors. Mr Kyle, writing in The Telegraph, said he hopes researchers can harness the vast amount of health data available to 'develop AI-powered tools that can predict cancer risk' to save thousands of lives a year. The UK National Screening Committee is currently considering whether to recommend the introduction of mass testing. 'I told my story to raise awareness' Sir Chris said: 'I was diagnosed with stage four prostate cancer at 47. By this age, my prostate cancer was advanced and could have been progressing from when I was 45 or even younger. With prostate cancer, the earlier you find it, the easier it is to treat. We need the system to change to enable more men to get diagnosed earlier, and stop them getting the news I got. 'That's why I believe men at highest risk, for example men with a family history like me, or black men, should be contacted by their GP earlier on to discuss a simple PSA blood test that can check for signs of prostate cancer. 'Then if there are any issues, they can get it treated it at an earlier stage. 'I've told my story to help raise awareness about the most common cancer in men and get more thinking about their risk and what they can do, but it shouldn't all be men's responsibility.' The online risk checking tool, published by Prostate Cancer Research UK, asks men simple questions about their family history and ethnicity to determine risk levels, and gives advice about what help to seek. The charity found that the number of men undergoing the check rose by 45 per cent overall, when data from October 2024 to February 2025 was compared with the same period the year before. The sharpest increase by far came from men aged between 45 and 49, with a family history of the disease. In total 10,427 such men checked their risk, compared with 5,891 in the same period the previous years. In total there were 688,796 checks during the period, up from 473, 843 the year before.
