As part of ongoing research by Public Health England (PHE), it has been revealed that there have been two cases of tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) virus in the UK, from Thetford Forest and an area on the Hampshire-Dorset border. TBE occurs naturally in many European countries, although this is the first time it has been found in Britain. There are many tick-borne diseases, although the other major threat (apart from TBE) to Europeans is Lyme’s disease.
Ecologists are particularly at risk of tick bites due to our work in the field, although this latest disease appears to be more localised to the south of England currently.