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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Science
Hannah Devlin Science correspondent

West Nile virus detected in UK mosquitoes for first time

A swarm of mosquitoes over a field of grass
A swarm of mosquitoes. Aedes vexans mosquitoes are native to the UK and their numbers can boom in summer flooded river landscapes. Photograph: Hans Verburg/Alamy

West Nile virus has been detected in genetic material of mosquitoes collected in Britain for the first time, the UK Health Security Agency has reported.

The agency assessed the risk to the general public as “very low” and said there was no evidence of transmission to humans or that the virus had become endemic.

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