DEADLY MOSQUITOES HEADING FOR BRITAIN
UK’s plan to battle tropical infections
Mirror’s Martin, centre, with PHE’s Alexander Vaux, left, and Jolyon Medlock
BRITAIN is stepping up its defences against the migration of deadly disease-carrying mosquitoes.
they lay eggs that survive the winter, and are difficult to control once established.” PHE also monitors for mosquitoes at 38 sea ports and airports, and up to 30 highway locations. Dr Medlock has a monthly call with government officials. Another invasive species that has started breeding here can transmit West Nile disease. A single insect was detected in 2010. It has now established populations in Essex, north Kent and the Thames Estuary. And the team detected a potential malariacarrying species in the traps during our visit to Avalon Marshes, Somerset. Dr Medlock said: “There has been research published suggesting the weather is warm enough for the malaria parasite to develop in British mosquitoes.” Malaria can be transmitted by five of our 36 native mosquito species. But the presence of diseasecarrying insects is not enough for tropical diseases to thrive, as viruses and parasites must be able to replicate and survive in their new environment. Some experts say this could take 40 years, others says it will happen sooner. ■ Mirror readers can email snaps of mosquitoes to mosquito@phe.gov.uk.
Rising temperatures due to climate change have triggered the movement of insects that spread the Zika virus, dengue fever and malaria. Experts believe an outbreak is inevitable, so the Mirror joined Public Health England to check our defences.
Its four-man national team works with local pest-control agencies to try to stop invasive species establishing a breeding population here.
Single Asian tiger mosquitoes, carried by lorries crossing the Channel, have DANGER Baby with Zika been detected across
South East England. It carries the Zika virus – which can cause birth defects – chikungunya virus and dengue.
Traps now cover 25 wetlands in Kent, Cambridgeshire, The Humber, Midlands, the North East and North West.
We met team leader Dr Jolyon Medlock at a key habitat for the insects on the Somerset Levels, near Glastonbury.
He said: “We are trying to delay or prevent the establishment of these invasive species. These mosquitoes are wily,
All of that stuff is very important. I carry a special multicoloured metal straw around with me, put it that way. Plastic pollution is awful. I don’t like to see the videos. It upsets me.