Rob
Hutchinson
English Malaria: A case Study
Contact details:
Office: 0191 374 3349
Mobile: 07946 211504
Email:
R.A.Hutchinson@
durham.ac.uk
Postal:
Dept. Biological Sciences,
Science Laboratories,
South Road, Durham
DH1 3LE Of all the questions I have been asked about the island, a
query about malaria was the most surprising. The first inquiry was about a year
ago. The second inquiry from Rob Hutchinson proved much more informative.
If I understand correctly, malaria is caused by a parasite that lives in mosquitoes and human beings. Servicemen returning to England carried the parasite which found a host in the local mosquito population.
I had heard of anti mosquito spraying on the Isle of Grain across the Medway, and friends had heard that our local council had done likewise on stretches of water around Sheerness, but I had always assumed it was just a summer precaution in a passing ship had an unwelcome visitor. However it would appear that malaria can be found in the indigenous population.
There have been no cases for nearly 50 years, so the risk seems to be extremely low, but with scorpions in the dockyard wall, who needs global warming to create a tropical paradise.
GLOBAL warming has been blamed for the huge expansion of a colony of
mosquitoes in Britain.
Experts say a combination of warmer temperatures and prolonged rain is the
reason for the large increase in numbers.
Residents living near the colony fear that the mosquitoes may cause an
outbreak of malaria. They have been found on a marshland site on the Isle of
Sheppey in Kent where a man died of malaria in l952, the last recorded death
from the disease in this country. A team of research scientists from Durham
University is conducting an urgent survey on the land near Queenborough.
MALARIA FEAR
AS
UK HOTS UPDaily Express, 4th December 2000
As reported in the Times Guardian last week, he has started a
three-year research project into English malaria, focusing on Elmley and
Queenborough. Part of his study will include carrying out fieldwork on Sheppey's
marshes, investigating which breeds of mosquito are on the Island and whether
they are capable of sparking a new outbreak of malaria.
"The questions I hope to address over the next three years are why did
malaria decline in the UK, how prevalent are the mosquitoes which can transmit
malaria, what types of habitat do mosquitoes prefer and what is the risk of
malaria returning to the UK," he said.
There are 31 different species of mosquito in the UK, but only five are
capable of transmitting malaria, but Mr Hutchinson's initial investigations have
revealed at least one species, the anpheles atroparvus, living in Sheppey. He
discovered them during a search of shelters, including pill-boxes and barns,
around the marshes.
"It is highly unlikely that malaria could become indigenous in the UK
again, mainly because things have changed in the past 100 years," said Mr
Hutchinson, a medical entomologist based at Durham University
"You wouid need more mosquito and human contact. We do not have that any
more because we have changed agricultural practice where we had lots of
labourers working in the field.
"The interesting thing about Sheppey is that it was the last place to
have an outbreak of malaria. There were 330 cases during the First World War
whidh followed when soldiers were brought home from malaria infected countries.
"All next summer I will be looking at larvae sites and looking at how
close those sites are to human habitation," Mr Hutchinson said.Malaria watch on mosquitoes
A SPECIES of mosquito capable of carrying malaria has been found on Sheppey. But
lifestyle changes and relatively cool temperatures mean it is unlikely the
Island will be threatened with a new outbreak of the disease. The anpheles
atroparvus mosquito was discovered breeding in marshes around Sheppey by
research student Robert Hutchinson.
Sheerness Times Guardian, 8th December 2000
The North Kent Marshes had always been an established area for mosquitoes,
and climate change could make things worse, he warned.
"We might just have to learn to live with it, and put up mosquito nets
at home." Cllr Val Dane (Lab, Queen-borough and Halfway) said there had
been problems with mosquitoes in Queenborough all her life.
"It is not malaria we are worried about, it is the nuisance of
mosquitoes," she said. Cllr Mick Constable (Lab, Queenborough and Halfway)
said he was pleased that a research student from Durham University would be
visiting the Island.
Nets could be next step
PEOPLE on Sheppey may have to follow the example of those in the tropics, and
sleep under mosquito nets, an Island councillor has suggested. CIlr John
Stanford (Lib Dem, Minster Cliffs) was speaking in a debate about mosquitoes at
Swale council's Sheppey area committee. He said that he had noticed an enomous
increase in the number of mosquitoes around his Brambledown home
Sheerness Times Guardian, 8th December 2000