First human case of of potentially deadly tick infection confirmed in Britain
manchestereveningnews.co.ukA man has become the first human in Britain to become infected with a potentially deadly infection borne by ticks. Doctors say they have identified a case of tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) in the man, who was bitten by ticks in Yorkshire.
Another probable human case has also been detected in the Loch Earn area of Scotland. The findings by a team at the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA)'s Rare and Imported Pathogens Laboratory at Porton Down, confirms that TBEV is now present in the UK. READ MORE: Heartbroken dad launched brutal machete attack on man he thought was behind son's death Both cases are described in new research led by Dr Helen Callaby, which is due to be presented at the European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID) in Denmark later this month.
The diagnosis was first considered by the doctors looking after the patients and confirmed by testing at the UKHSA laboratory.
Dr Callaby said: “This study confirms the tick-borne encephalitis virus is present in parts of the UK where there are relevant tick and wildlife populations and may occasionally cause disease in humans. “Physicians should consider the possibility of tick-borne encephalitis virus when patients present with unexplained encephalitis and a history of tick exposure, even if they have not travelled outside the UK, as the clinicians did in these cases.” She explained that TBEV is a flavivirus spread by ticks and, more rarely, consumption of unpasteurised milk from infected animals.
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