Don’t let insects take a bite out of you this summer

BITING bugs are a risk to travellers in exotic locations but insects at home can also pose a danger.

In 2015 alone 1,400 travellers were diagnosed with malaria when they returned to the UK, with six dying.

Dengue fever also affected almost 350 people in 2014, while 295 have been diagnosed with Zika since 2015.

Boots Pharmacist Angela Chalmers said: “Biting bugs need to be taken more seriously when it comes to trips abroad, with mosquitoes from more far-flung locations responsible for passing on diseases such as malaria and Zika.

“However, biting bugs are also prevalent in the UK. Although mostly harmless, bites can be irritating and put a preventable dampener on your summer.”

From March 2015 to 2016, more than 85,000 people visited A&E for animal bites and stings.

Wasps, hornets, horseflies, bees and mosquitoes (pictured above) are all biting insects to be wary of in the UK.

Ticks also carry Lyme disease while bad reactions to bees, wasps and ants stings can cause anaphylaxis - an extreme allergic reaction that can prove fatal.