Sini, Sardinia Bay virus has been found in mosquito samples collected in the UK for the first time, the Health and Safety Executive said Tuesday.
In July, the 2023 Health and Safety Executive collected Aedes mosquitoes from a river wetland near Camston, Nottinghamshire, England, the communique said. The mosquitoes were divided into groups of 10 for testing. Using polymerase chain reaction technology, the researchers found fragments of genetic material from Sini, Sardinia virus in two of the samples. This is the first evidence of the virus in British mosquitoes.
It said the Health and Safety Executive had assessed the security risk to the public as “Very low”. No cases of Sini, Sardinia virus in humans or horses have been detected in the UK to date, but seven travel-related cases have been reported since 2000. Based on available surveillance data, there is no evidence of sustained transmission of the virus among birds or mosquitoes in the UK.
Sini, Sardinia Luo Virus is a member of the family Flaviviridae, together with dengue and yellow fever viruses. It is usually carried by birds and is transmitted by mosquitoes that bite birds. Rarely, it is transmitted to humans or horses. The virus is prevalent in many parts of the world, including Europe, Africa, Asia, and so on. In recent years, its spread has expanded to the northern and western parts of the European continent.