West Nile Virus (WNV) is a pathogenic virus that can cause neurological disease and death in humans (1). Normally confined to warmer regions of the planet, WNV has been detected in mosquitoes (the vector of transmission) collected in the UK for the first time. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) monitors the emergence and pathways of a number of vector-borne viruses capable of causing disease (pathogens) in humans, including WNV (2).
The combination of a number of factors promotes the appearance of viral pathogens in regions of the world previously not associated with these agents and, therefore, the diseases they cause. For example, climate change is enhancing the spread of mosquitoes that carry viruses previously confined to tropical regions of the planet.
The UKHSA and other public health organisations across the globe are already developing surveillance strategies and channels of public communication to combat the appearance of these viruses. Movement of pathogens around the world is nothing new. The novel aspect of the appearance of West Nile Virus in the UK is the contribution of a warmer climate.
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