UK Health Security Agency

Ticks are becoming a growing health risk in the UK – here's why

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, August 22, 2023

A British man is also said to have contracted alpha-gal syndrome after being bitten by a tick.

Key Points: 
  • A British man is also said to have contracted alpha-gal syndrome after being bitten by a tick.
  • But in light of these reports, many may be wondering whether ticks and tick-borne diseases are a growing risk in the UK.

Are tick numbers increasing?

    • Tick populations will also vary depending on the local populations of the animals they use as hosts (such as rodents and birds).
    • So given the sporadic data we have on tick density, it’s difficult to estimate how much tick populations have really increased, and whether this is part of a long-term trend.

Why are things changing?

    • This has been particularly noticeable in colder regions, such as in parts of Canada where ticks had not previously been recorded.
    • In the UK, recent milder winters mean ticks are being sighted earlier in the year than normal.
    • A push to build parks and green spaces, particularly in towns and cities, is another factor which can influence tick abundance.

What health risks do ticks carry?

    • The red sheep tick (Haemaphysalis punctata) and the newly established ornate dog tick (Dermacentor reticulatus) are also becoming more common.
    • The incidence of Lyme disease is fairly low in the UK (just under 3% of ticks carry it).
    • But in other parts of Europe, between 9-22% of ticks carry Lyme disease – and this number is rising.
    • Public health officials are particularly concerned about the spread of the lethal viral infection Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever.
    • Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever is transmitted by Hyalomma ticks, which are most common in the Mediterranean basin.

Protecting yourself

    • Avoid tall grasses and areas where ticks thrive (such as moorlands and woodlands), especially during the warmer months.
    • If you become unwell after being bitten by a tick, it’s important to visit a GP as soon as possible.

Measles: it's not just London that's at risk of an outbreak – it's all of the UK

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, July 27, 2023

The UK lost its measles-free status in 2019, indicating that the measles virus was circulating and there was inadequate vaccination to prevent its spread.

Key Points: 
  • The UK lost its measles-free status in 2019, indicating that the measles virus was circulating and there was inadequate vaccination to prevent its spread.
  • The virus spreads like wildfire among the unvaccinated, as demonstrated recently when seven unvaccinated children at a nursery school in Stoke-on-Trent nursery caught the bug.
  • There are no specific drugs for measles, so treatment is to help relieve symptoms and address complications, such as bacterial infections.
  • This pattern is seen globally, with many countries yet to attain the levels of routine immunisation coverage they had pre-pandemic.
  • For MMR, a national catch-up campaign is under way, and many regions have set up measles-elimination groups.
  • If this work is successful, hopefully the UK will be able to regain its measles-free status.

Measles: how declining vaccination levels in London are threatening herd immunity

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, July 18, 2023

For 60 years, measles has been preventable by a widely available vaccine, so why is London facing a potential disaster now?

Key Points: 
  • For 60 years, measles has been preventable by a widely available vaccine, so why is London facing a potential disaster now?
  • This means one infected child can pass on the disease to 12 to 18 other children in a completely susceptible population.
  • The current levels of MMR coverage in England, particularly in London, are well below the 95% threshold.
  • The COVID pandemic has seen vaccination levels drop further, creating a perfect storm of low immunity levels.
  • Estimated immunity levels for different age groups, London and England While only three-quarters of eligible five-year-olds in London have received their second MMR dose, immunity levels are not the same across all age groups.
  • The UKHSA has sought to work out immunity levels in different age groups to better understand the risk of outbreaks.
  • With its consistently low vaccination levels, London is more likely to face an outbreak than the rest of the UK.

New Lancet Global Health Study Finds Wastewater Surveillance Poised to Anchor Public Health Disease Surveillance Worldwide

Retrieved on: 
Friday, June 16, 2023

Published in The Lancet Global Health, the peer-reviewed findings point to the need for leadership, funding, and implementation frameworks to strengthen wastewater monitoring for worldwide pandemic preparedness.

Key Points: 
  • Published in The Lancet Global Health, the peer-reviewed findings point to the need for leadership, funding, and implementation frameworks to strengthen wastewater monitoring for worldwide pandemic preparedness.
  • The study was conducted by the Wastewater Action Group, an ongoing partnership between The Rockefeller Foundation, Mathematica, Northeastern University, and the United Kingdom's Health Security Agency.
  • "Monitoring wastewater offers a more complete picture of local health, and this survey demonstrates it's being used effectively in some of the world's most vulnerable communities."
  • During the Covid-19 pandemic, wastewater surveillance reemerged as a valuable public health tool for tracking the burden and spread of SARS-CoV-2 and other health threats.

Gonorrhoea and syphilis diagnoses are at their highest in decades – here's what you need to know about these STIs

Retrieved on: 
Saturday, June 10, 2023

Shockingly, gonorrhoea rates are the highest they have been since records began in 1918.

Key Points: 
  • Shockingly, gonorrhoea rates are the highest they have been since records began in 1918.
  • Gonorrhoea has increased from 71,133 diagnoses per year before the pandemic to 82,592 in 2022.
  • Syphilis, which in the early 2000s was almost non-existent in the UK, has increased to 8,692 diagnoses in 2022.

What symptoms do they cause?

    • In women symptoms can be less obvious, but include a watery, green, yellow or sometimes bloodstained vaginal discharge, and pain when urinating.
    • Symptoms include fever and abdominal pain.
    • For this reason, it’s essential to get diagnosed and treated if you’re experiencing any symptoms.
    • The disease now enters a latent phase where it stays in the body while showing no symptoms.
    • This causes a range of symptoms which were dreaded in the years before effective treatment – including skin and bone disfigurations, nerve pain, heart problems, deafness, blindness, dementia and other neurological symptoms such as difficulty walking and incontinence.

Why have rates increased?

    • It’s not entirely clear why rates of syphilis and gonorrhoea have increased so rapidly in the UK.
    • Data shows that rates of gonorrhoea in particular are sensitive to social and political change, including changes to funding for sexual health services.

What can I do to protect myself?

    • If you have a symptom you’re worried about, get it checked.
    • Self-test kits for gonorrhoea and syphilis are available online in some areas or you can go to a sexual health clinic if you prefer.

Birmingham spinout to develop 20-minute test following surge in sexually transmitted infections

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, June 8, 2023

Brendan Farrell, Chairman of Linear Diagnostics, said: "For STIs, the rapidity of the testing procedure is key, as patients prefer to get test results quickly and start treatment immediately.

Key Points: 
  • Brendan Farrell, Chairman of Linear Diagnostics, said: "For STIs, the rapidity of the testing procedure is key, as patients prefer to get test results quickly and start treatment immediately.
  • Its work brings people from across the world to Birmingham, including researchers, teachers and more than 8,000 international students from over 150 countries.
  • The World Health Organization has noted the rapid increase in multi-drug resistant gonorrhoea, with all confirmed treatment failures except one being pharyngeal infections affecting the throat.
  • The UK Health Security Agency warned this week of a surge in gonorrhoea cases, with a 50% increase between 2021 and 2022.

Birmingham spinout to develop 20-minute test following surge in sexually transmitted infections

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, June 8, 2023

The University of Birmingham is ranked amongst the world's top 100 institutions.

Key Points: 
  • The University of Birmingham is ranked amongst the world's top 100 institutions.
  • Its work brings people from across the world to Birmingham, including researchers, teachers and more than 8,000 international students from over 150 countries.
  • The World Health Organization has noted the rapid increase in multi-drug resistant gonorrhoea, with all confirmed treatment failures except one being pharyngeal infections affecting the throat.
  • The UK Health Security Agency warned this week of a surge in gonorrhoea cases, with a 50% increase between 2021 and 2022.

United Kingdom Air Purifiers Market Report 2023: Increasing Air Pollution Drives Adoption

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, June 7, 2023

The United Kingdom air purifiers market is expected to witness robust growth during the forecast year owing to the increasing number of cases of airborne diseases and rapidly increasing pollution levels in several cities of the country.

Key Points: 
  • The United Kingdom air purifiers market is expected to witness robust growth during the forecast year owing to the increasing number of cases of airborne diseases and rapidly increasing pollution levels in several cities of the country.
  • An air purifier ensures the filtering of indoor air in a closed environment, which captures and delivers clean air.
  • With the rise in air pollution in different cities of the United Kingdom, the government has set up several laws to bring down the increasing air pollution level in the country.
  • In this report, the United Kingdom air purifiers market has been segmented into the following categories, in addition to the industry trends, which have also been detailed below:
    United Kingdom Air Purifier Market, by Filter Type:

Arcturus: what to know about the new COVID variant, omicron XBB.1.16

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, May 3, 2023

It’s important to note that only a small portion of COVID infections undergo genetic sequencing, so it’s likely there are many more cases of Arcturus.

Key Points: 
  • It’s important to note that only a small portion of COVID infections undergo genetic sequencing, so it’s likely there are many more cases of Arcturus.
  • But the variant has been most dominant in India, which had recorded 61% of global sequences of Arcturus as of mid-April.
  • The country was recording more than 10,000 COVID cases each day with Arcturus making up about two-thirds of all cases.
  • Read more: Another new COVID variant is spreading – here's what we know about omicron BA.4.6
    Where did Arcturus come from?

UK poultry can roam free outside again – but bird flu risk hasn't gone away

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, April 20, 2023

The UK government recently announced that as of April 18, poultry and captive birds can be kept outside again as the threat from bird flu eases.

Key Points: 
  • The UK government recently announced that as of April 18, poultry and captive birds can be kept outside again as the threat from bird flu eases.
  • These mandatory housing measures were introduced across England and Wales in the autumn of 2022 following the unprecedented spread of bird flu in the UK and Europe.
  • Read more:
    Bird flu: domestic chicken keepers could be putting themselves – and others – at risk

    Avian influenza, commonly known as bird flu, is caused by the influenza A virus which can lead to disease in many hosts including humans.

  • In general, human influenza viruses have little capacity to infect animal species and vice versa, but sporadic infections can sometimes occur between species.

How did the current outbreak spread?

    • The origins of all influenza A serotypes are thought to be in aquatic birds such as ducks, geese, gulls and wading birds.
    • The 2.3.4.4b clade of the H5N1 serotype, for example, is descended from the goose/Guangdong lineage, first isolated in a goose in Guangdong, China.
    • This clade emerged around 2021 and has caused several outbreaks globally, including in Europe, Asia, and the Americas, most likely spread by migratory birds.
    • And while avian flu has traditionally been a problem primarily for chickens and other domestic birds, this outbreak has been unusual in its capacity to cause disease and death in wild birds too.

Beyond birds

    • Mammals can become infected with bird flu as a result eating infected birds – through predation or scavenging – or from coming into contact with bird faeces.
    • In the UK most mammalian cases are in species likely to have consumed infected birds including foxes, otters and weasels.
    • The UK Health Security Agency has a zero to six level of threat for pandemic avian influenza.

Balancing risk with animal welfare

    • The greatest risk of influenza to poultry is through the autumn and winter months with the migration of birds, such as barnacle geese.
    • As we move out of peak influenza season, the risk should be lower in the short term.
    • The removal of housing restrictions is a decision that balances infection risk with animal welfare.