Vector News

This page collects UK and UK-relevant headlines about ticks, mosquitoes, and the wider public-health response to vector-borne disease. It is a quick way to see what is changing, why it matters, and which stories to follow next.

Top Headlines

• First detection of Usutu virus in Scotland (GOV.UK APHA news story, Apr 2026)
• First cases of mosquito-borne virus found in blackbirds in Scotland (BBC News, Apr 2026)
• First detection of West Nile virus in UK mosquitoes (GOV.UK news story, May 2025)
• How we monitor invasive mosquitoes and stop them spreading in the UK (UKHSA Blog, Dec 2024)
• HAIRS risk assessment: West Nile virus (GOV.UK research publication, Jun 2025)
• How we protect the UK from vector-borne diseases like dengue and West Nile virus (UKHSA Blog, May 2025)
• UKHSA HECC report shows impacts on public health due to warming climate (GOV.UK press release, Dec 2023)

Tracking and Preparedness

• One Health vector-borne disease surveillance (GOV.UK, 2026 update)
• West Nile virus: epidemiology, diagnosis and prevention (GOV.UK, 2025 update)
• National contingency plan for invasive mosquitoes (GOV.UK publication, 2023)
• Send a tick to UKHSA's Tick Surveillance Scheme (GOV.UK, 2025 update)
• Public mosquito recording scheme: submit a mosquito (GOV.UK, 2025 update)
• Invasive mosquito surveillance (GOV.UK, 2025 update)
• Mosquito and tick incidents (GOV.UK, 2025 update)

Citizen Science and Climate Context

• Citizen science supports research into vector-borne diseases (UKCEH, May 2024)
• How you can help us resist the tiger mosquito's conquest of Europe (UKHSA Blog, Jul 2024)
• What is Lyme disease and why do we need to be tick-aware? (UKHSA Blog, Mar 2024)
• Mosquito Scotland (UK mosquito surveillance citizen science project)
• iRecord (UK biological recording platform)
• Heat summary - Chapter 8: climate and vector-borne diseases (GOV.UK, Dec 2024)
• How does climate change threaten our health? From flooding to wildfires (UKHSA Blog, Dec 2023)