Urgent warning as deadly ‘brain swelling’ disease found in parts of UK – the symptoms you must know

A DEADLY brain swelling disease which is spread to humans by tick bites is now present in the England, experts have warned.

It comes after three cases of the tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV), which can cause meningitis, was discovered in humans and in ticks in several parts of England.

In 2022, England recorded it’s first ever confirmed case of the infection which was linked to the Yorkshire area, the UK Health Security Agency (UKSHA) said.

Health officials also recorded two separate “probable” cases in Thetford Forest, Norfolk and on the Hampshire-Dorset border, where the virus has since been detected in ticks.

It’s likely the bug is also present in other areas as the tick species which carries the virus is widespread in the UK, the experts said.

Before now, the disease was only found in Europe, Russia, parts of China and Japan.

Although public health officials say the risk is low, they have urged walkers to take precautions when walking through wooded or grassy areas.

Dr Meera Chand, of the UKHSA, said: “Our surveillance suggests that tick borne encephalitis virus is very uncommon in the UK and that the risk to the general population is very low.

“Ticks also carry various other infections, including Lyme disease, so take steps to reduce your chances of being bitten when outdoors in areas where ticks thrive, such as moorlands and woodlands, and remember to check for ticks and remove them promptly.”

Professor Roman Biek, of disease ecology and molecular epidemiology, at the University of Glasgow, said: “These human cases are not a surprise – ticks infected with the virus had been detected in the UK in recent years and there had been suspected cases. 

“What is unexpected, are the locations of these human cases, as they occurred at some distance from where the virus had been found previously. 

“This indicates that the virus is more widely distributed in the UK than we had anticipated.

Experts are looking into why the virus has been found in ticks more frequently in recent years.

Professor Roman added:“The virus has clearly become established in multiple places in the UK, most plausibly as a consequence of infected ticks travelling on migrating birds. 

The opportunities for this to happen would have existed for a long time. 

“So why these introductions were successful only recently, as suggested by the data available so far and similar timelines of emergence in other European countries, is not clear.”

He said: “Identifying the environmental conditions, or changes to these conditions, that played a role in TBEV emergence, is an obvious research priority right now.”

SYMPTOMS

Most people who catch the TBEV will have no or only mild flu-like symptoms.

But in some cases can affect the brain and central nervous system and can sometimes be fatal.

Symptoms of this are similar to other causes of meningitis, and can include a high fever with headache, neck stiffness, confusion or reduced consciousness.

According to the , a charity which supports people affected by all types of encephalitis, fewer than two per cent of people die from the viral infection.

A vaccine is available privately for tick-borne encephalitis.