Britain invaded by deadly disease-carrying Tiger mosquito

Britain invaded by deadly disease-carrying Tiger mosquito

By LUKE SALKELD - More by this author » Last updated at 18:23pm on 20th August 2007 Comments

A voracious mosquito which carries a host of deadly diseases has entered Britain.

Two Asian tiger mosquitoes, which can transmit up to 23 infections - including West Nile virus and dengue fever - were found in a suburban back garden.

Illnesses passed on when the aggressive insect bites humans include a parasitic worm which attaches itself to one of the lung's arteries, causing serious breathing complications.

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Britain has been invaded by the Asian tiger mosquito which carries potentially-fatal diseases

The species is normally only found in the forests of Asia, Africa and South America.

But following its discovery in Gloucestershire - the first-ever sighting in Britain - experts fear the insect may have now settled here permanently.

The mosquito, which is just a quarter of an inch long and has distinctive yellow stripes, is believed to have entered the UK on shipments and then thrived in this year's very wet summer.

For several years there have been fears it may have arrived in this country although there have been no recorded sightings until now.

And environmental health officers rushed to a house in Cheltenham after resident Julian Berryman recognised the insect.

The 41-year-old said: "I have seen Tiger Mosquitoes before when I travelled around Europe and thought this looked like one.

Arran Dzendrowski spotted the striped mosquitoes on a wall in his grandmother's back garden

"They are very big mosquitoes and the most ferocious going. But I didn't think they had reached this country yet."

The Asian tiger lays its eggs in water and it has previously been feared they were surviving in small pools that collect in the bottom of tyres sent to Britain on container ships from Asia.

The insect is particularly perilous because it bites throughout the day and not just in the evening, as with other mosquito species.

West Nile virus, which has killed hundreds of people in mainland Europe and North America, lives mainly in birds, but can be passed to humans when they are bitten by a mosquito which has already bitten an infected bird.

The disease, which first emerged in Uganda in 1937, can lead to fever and headache, but more severe cases involve inflammation of the brain, or deadly meningitis.

The virus is especially dangerous to the young and those over 50. Dengue fever, which is most common in Africa, India and the Far East, can also prove fatal.

Symptoms include a sudden high fever, painful aches in the bones, joints and muscles and a rash which leaves the palms and soles of the feet bright red and swollen.

One form of dengue fever causes internal bleeding which can be lethal if not treated. The Asian tiger mosquito is also the carrier of a parasitic worm called diarofularia, which lodges in the pulmonary artery, causing severe breathing problems.

In the wild, the insect lays its eggs in banana leaves and coconut shells, which collect a little water. Asian Tiger Moths were first reported in Europe in 1979 in Albania and later in Italy in 1990.

More recently it has been recorded in France, Belgium, Montenegro, Israel, Switzerland, and Spain but there have been no records from the UK.

Clive Salisbury, 42, pollution control manager for Cheltenham Borough Council, said the mosquitoes had been sent to an insect specialist for final identification.

He said: "I think the insect may have found its way to the UK by hitching a lift with shipments or flights.

"Although it appears to be warm enough for them to survive over here, it's not thought to be hot enough for the diseases they carry in countries like Africa to survive in the UK."

The Health Protection Agency has begun work at airports to ensure containers and luggage are checked for any more of the unwanted Tiger Mosquitoes.

Yesterday a spokesperson for the agency said: "Tiger Mosquitoes are prolific biters and can become settled in urban areas.

"But in certain parts of Europe where the species can be found they are not able to carry any viruses."

The Chartered Institute for Environmental Health has set up a mosquito recording scheme called 'Mosquito Watch' following an influx of exotic species being reported.

A spokesperson for the Mosquito Watch said the two Tiger Mosquitoes in Cheltenham are the first sightings they are aware of.

The spokesperson said: "Until the discoveries in Cheltenham, as far as the CIEH was aware there had been no confirmed sightings of Asian Tiger mosquitoes in the UK.

"Because it's been a wet summer there may be more mosquitoes around, but they don't represent a danger."

The sightings come after NHS Direct revealed that calls from people complaining about mosquito bites are up 28 per cent on last year.