Blackbirds under new threat after new mosquito-born disease arrives in UK
Scientists are racing to monitor the spread of a mosquito-borne disease which has been linked to a decline in the blackbird population.
The disease Usutu has spread across much of southern England over the last five years, and is easily transmitted to the songsters.
Mosquitos are a growing risk for the UK's wildlife, with longer summers and hotter temperatures due to climate change meaning they are increasingly breeding in northern Europe.
Scientists at the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) have been tracking mosquito-borne diseases in wild birds, with results coming back all clear until 2020.
However, after that summer's heatwave, Usutu, which originates from Africa, was detected in several blackbirds in Greater London.
"Blackbirds specifically are quite susceptible to the virus and since 2020 we've found a decline in blackbirds of approximately 40% in Greater London," said Dr Arran Folly of APHA.
"It gives an indication that in the future we might get other viruses that are transmitted by mosquitoes emerging in the UK."
The virus was first detected more than 50 years ago around southern Africa's Usutu river, but has since spread around the world.
It can also infect horses and occasionally humans, but is regarded as low risk to people.
However, over the last five years the disease has spread across much of southern England at a speed that has taken scientists by surprise.
It has now been detected in birds as far north as Cambridgeshire, with concerns that it will impact the number of blackbirds in the UK, who are currently one of the commonest garden birds.
In other parts of Europe, Usutu has been linked to mass die-offs of blackbirds but this is yet to be the case in the UK. Over the summer months, large numbers of wild birds have been found dead without prior evidence of ill-health, or a short period of lethargy, loss of coordination and seizures.
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BBC News
21 minutes ago
- BBC News
Cervical screening invites to change for younger women in England
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The Independent
21 minutes ago
- The Independent
One care home, three children's deaths and countless missed warnings
Three disabled children died in similar circumstances at the UK's largest brain rehabilitation centre for children despite warnings about care failings, The Independent can reveal. Five-year-old Connor Wellsted died in 2017 at The Children's Trust's (TCT) Tadworth unit Surrey, having suffocated when a cot bumper became lodged under his chin. Six years later, in 2023, Raihana Oluwadamilola Awolaja, 12, died when her breathing tube became blocked and Mia Gauci-Lamport, 16, died after she was found unresponsive in her bed. Inquests into all three deaths uncovered a litany of failings and identified common problems in the children's care at the home where multiple senior directors earn six-figure salaries. Now, police have launched a fresh investigation into Connor's death. Coroners who investigated their deaths criticised staff for failing to adequately monitor the children - all of whom had complex disabilities and needed one-to-one care - and for not sharing the full circumstances of how they died with authorities. The families of the children, who were all under the care of their local council, are demanding that the government and the regulator, the Care Quality Commission (CQC), take action. Connor's father Chris Wellsted told The Independent: 'How many more children are going to die because of their incompetence? CQC failed the NHS England failed. The government failed. Every organisation, what should have been investigating the children's trust. It's a disgrace.' Surrey Police first investigated Conor's death in 2017 but no further action was taken. The force has now admitted that it failed to deploy a detective inspector to the scene, which is protocol following the sudden death of a child - something it admitted 'was a failing on our part'. It said it would review the investigation to decide if further inquiries into his death are needed. It is not reinvestigating Raihana and Mia's deaths. 'A disgrace' Connor, from Sheffield, who had neuro-disabilities as a result of a brain injury following a heart attack after birth, was found dead in his cot at TCT on 17 May 2017 after he became trapped under a cot bumper. Following an inquest into his death, Coroner Karen Henderson ruled TCT had 'misled' authorities over the circumstances of Connor's death, initially telling the police, coroner and pathologist that the cot bumper was found on Connor's chest. Staff also failed to preserve the scene and did not tell police that he had already been dead for hours when staff found him unresponsive in the morning. The staff also failed to declare that Connor's death was sudden and unexpected, which meant police did not send a detective inspector to the scene, as is typically the case. In December 2024, the Parliamentary Health Service Ombudsman criticised the CQC for failing to take enforcement action against TCT over his death after it concluded it wasn't necessary. Connor's father complained about the police's handling of the investigation, which has now prompted the force to reinvestigate. A letter, seen by The Independent, confirming the fresh probe reads: 'I can confirm that Surrey Police are relaunching a crime investigation into the circumstances of Connor's death in order to establish whether any criminal offences have been committed.' A key concern over Connor's death, which was also brought up in probes into Raihana and Mia's deaths, was that he had no direct supervision overnight, other than staff opening the door or watching him through a glass window. 'Culture of cover-up' Raihana, who was from Essex, had complex disabilities as a result of a premature birth and needed around-the-clock care, died at TCT on 1 June 2023. She had been left unattended for 15 minutes, during which time her tracheostomy tube was blocked. Ms Wilcox said that if she had been 'appropriately observed' this would have been recognised and resolved and, 'on the balance of probabilities, she would not have died at this time'. She said: 'This failure to adequately observe her was a gross failure in care by the nursing staff. This was compounded by the lack of sufficient staff on the unit where Raihana lived to provide proper 1:1 care.' Raihana's mother, Latifat Kehinde Solomon, had previously raised concerns about her daughter's care after finding that she had been left unsupervised. Making a ruling that Raihana died as a result of natural causes contributed to by neglect, Ms Wilcox warned: 'There may be a culture of cover-up at Tadworth Children's Trust.' 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Telegraph
36 minutes ago
- Telegraph
NHS to offer women under 50 fewer cervical screenings
Millions of women will be offered NHS cervical screening less often under radical plans. Those below the age of 50 will be called forward every five years instead of three. The changes were announced on Tuesday by NHS England, who said they were backed by clinical evidence that just as many cancer cases would be detected. Health chiefs said the changes would enable 'millions of women and people with a cervix in England to benefit from more personalised cervical screening' from next month. Under the NHS screening system, which replaced smears, cells are tested for the presence of Human Papillomavirus (HPV), which causes almost all cervical cancer. Currently, women aged 25 to 49 in England are offered such checks every three years, with screening every five years for those aged 50 to 64. If HPV is detected, checks are repeatedly annually, with further investigations if any cell abnormalities are found. More regular screening is also offered to those with a recent history of HPV. 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Eligible women will first receive a notification through the app to alert them to book a screening appointment, followed by a text message if the app notification is not opened. Letters will remain in place for those who need them. DIY tests It comes as the health service prepares to roll out DIY tests allowing women to 'self-sample' at home if the prefer. Health officials have said such tests could be rolled out as soon as January if the move is recommended by the UK National Screening Committee. The self-checks will allow those who do not attend appointments the option to do their own tests at home, ordering the kit on the app. The NHS said the rollout of testing, which is far more accurate than older methods, means women will be able to safely have longer gaps between screening. Studies have shown that if a patient tests negative for HPV they are extremely unlikely to go on to develop cervical cancer within the next decade. Research on a pilot scheme involving 1.3 million women, led by King's College London researchers and published in the BMJ in 2022, showed that five-yearly screening is as safe as three-yearly, that the same number of cancers are found and less frequent cervical screening tests are needed. It comes after they considered evidence, including a 2022 study of 1.3 million women in England. Some other countries, including Wales and Scotland, have already extended the gap to five years, after it was recommended by the UK National Screening Committee in 2019. Other countries have gone further. In Sweden, women aged 23 to 49 have checks every five years with seven year intervals for those aged 50 to 70. In the Netherlands, women are invited for screening every five years from the age of 30. If a woman tests HPV negative after the age of 40 the screening interval is extended to 10 years. Australia – which aims to become the first country in the world to eliminate cervical cancer – offers checks every 5 years for women aged 25 to 74. The NHS in England has urged women to come forward for cervical screening, with latest figures showing more than 5 million are not up to date with check-ups. Dr Sue Mann, the NHS's national clinical director for women's health, said: 'Taking a more personalised approach to cervical screening will help ensure everyone eligible can make the most of these life-saving services, while sparing them appointments that they don't need. 'The NHS is following robust evidence on how often women need to be safely screened, and by putting invitations and reminders straight in women's pockets on their phones, we're making it easier than ever to take up screening appointments. 'Make sure you come forward for your screening when you're invited, even if it was weeks, months or years ago. If you think you are due but have not yet had an invitation, speak to your GP practice.' For decades, the NHS offered smear tests, which checked cervical cells for abnormalities. If abnormalities were found samples were tested for HPV. But since 2019, the system has been changed so the tests check for HPV in the first instance. Cell abnormalities As HPV infection comes before cell abnormalities develop, the new system has been found to be more accurate and to detect more women who may be at risk. NHS officials have pledged to eliminate cervical cancer by 2040. Michelle Mitchell, the chief executive of Cancer Research UK, said: 'We welcome this change to cervical screening in England, which is the result of years of vital research to make screening more effective and has shown it is safe to extend the time between tests. 'Screening, alongside the roll out of the HPV vaccine – which Cancer Research UK scientists helped develop – have seen cervical cancer rates drop by around a quarter since the early 1990s, and we look forward to even more progress.' Athena Lamnisos, the chief executive of The Eve Appeal, a cancer charity, said: 'Every single case of cancer that can be prevented, should be, and this new guidance is good news for those at low risk because they will no longer need to go for cervical screening as often.'
