Wellcome responds to first detection of West Nile Virus in UK mosquitoes

Felipe Colón, Technology Lead in Data for Science and Health at Wellcome, said:

 “Climate change isn’t just a future threat; it’s already reshaping disease patterns. As the climate continues to warm and rainfall patterns shift, the risk of diseases such as West Nile Virus spreading to Europe has significantly increased. This is not a new phenomenon, Europe has become increasingly more hospitable for West Nile Virus since the 1980s, with a period of rapid warming creating the perfect conditions for the virus to spread. Countries like the UK that were once considered low risk are now more vulnerable to outbreaks – a concern only amplified by the fact that there are currently no approved treatments for West Nile Virus.

“This case demonstrates the importance of good disease surveillance systems to monitor the risk and incidence of infectious diseases, especially those impacted by climate change. Thanks to the UK’s surveillance network and this research programme, the UK’s healthcare network will have a heightened awareness for potential human cases, increasing understanding of how this might have come about and enhancing our ability to treat any cases earlier and fully determine the risk to the UK population.”