A tick-borne infection that can cause a range of potentially deadly illnesses is "likely" to be in the UK, health officials have said.
Tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBE) is spread by tick bites, and is already common in many parts of Europe. While the risk of getting TBE is "very low" according to the NHS, it has the potential to cause serious viral infections in the nervous system such as meningitis or encephalitis, an uncommon condition in which the brain becomes swollen.
It comes after the first domestic case of the virus was confirmed in Yorkshire last year, with two other probable cases having been detected since 2019. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and Defra published their joint risk assessment, based on findings of both cases in humans and the presence of the virus in ticks in several areas across the country.
