Surveillance for Human West Nile Virus in the UK
Since 2002 surveillance for human cases of West Nile virus in the UK has taken place every year between 1st June and 31st October. A case is defined as an adult (particularly those aged 50 years and over) with symptoms of encephalitis, meningo-encephalitis, aseptic meningitis or acute flaccid paralysis, who presents with no travel history outside the UK. Follow the links for details of case definitions and appropriate samples to send to HPA Porton. The surveillance report form (pdf v4.1, May 2005) for suspected UK-acquired WNV may be sent to CfI.
Suspected West Nile Virus infection (PDF, 102 KB)Cases of WNV reported in the UK 2004-2009
|
Year
|
Number of Cases
|
Travel
|
Reference
|
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009* |
0
|
– |
– |
|
2008
|
0
|
– |
– |
|
2007
|
1
|
Canada |
HPR 2(6), 8 Feb 2008 p.16-17 in Emerging Infections Update: July-December 2007 |
| 2006 |
1
|
Canada |
HPR 1(6), 9 Feb 2007 p.9-10 in Emerging Infections Update: July-December 2006 |
| 2005† |
0
|
– | – |
| 2004† |
0
|
– | – |
*Provisional data
†Although no cases of WNV were reported in the UK in these years three cases were reported in residents of the Republic of Ireland (ROI). Two cases in 2004 had travelled to the Algarve in Portugal (Connell et al, 2004) and one case in 2005 had been to the USA. Before 2004 no cases of WNV were reported in either the UK or the ROI. See Related Publications
WNV surveillance began in 2002 but no cases were reported in 2002 or 2003.
For futher information on surveillance for human West Nile Virus in the UK please contact us
- Samples from cases of suspected WNV infection
Describes which samples to take from suspected cases of WNV infection and gives case definitions for probable and confimed cases
Added/updated: 22 May 2009
