A warning has been issued as concerns rise over a dangerous tick-borne virus likely to become more widespread as summers get hotter across the UK.
First detected in Britain in Norfolk in 2019, the virus has since been detected in other areas with a 'probable' case found in Scotland's Loch Earn area. Now the spread of tick borne encephalitis (TBEV) is being investigated by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs.
The strains of the virus identified in the UK have been close to the European or Scandinavian strains, meaning they may have originally arrived from the near continent. Ticks attach to birds which means they can easily travel, explains Professor of Virology Ian Jones of the University of Reading.
