Bitten By A Mosquito? NHS Direct Has Seen An Increase In Calls, UK

Main Category: Infectious Diseases / Bacteria / Viruses
Also Included In: Dermatology;  Public Health
Article Date: 18 Aug 2007 - 1:00 PDT

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NHS Direct has experienced a significant rise, over the last three months, in the number of callers ringing 0845 46 47 about mosquito bites.

The sound of these whining bugs is usually associated with hot or exotic holidays abroad. But experts recently warned that the UK could be facing an explosion of mosquitoes caused by warm and humid conditions, as well as standing water left by recent severe rainstorms.

So far NHS Direct call patterns appear to echo this warning. From June 14 to 30, we received 824 calls about insect bites. This figure rose to 2076 in July and in the first 12 days of August calls now stands at 1491.

So far, the August calls are up by 28% when compared to the same 12 days in 2006 when the service took 1157 calls about insect bites.

NHS Direct Online has also noticed a significant increase in traffic - between August 6 and 12 the insects bites article was the most popular out of over 700 health encyclopaedia articles! In July/August this year we had 17,434 website inquiries compared to 12,316 in the same period in 06.

Helen Young, Clinical Director/Director of Nursing at NHS Direct, said: "Most insect bites result in small, local reactions where the symptoms can be easily treated. When an insect bites it releases a form of saliva that can that give rise to inflammation, blisters, and irritation. These can vary depending on the type of insect involved, and the sensitivity of the person who is bitten. For example, a bite may result in a small, itchy lump that lasts for just a few days, or it can lead to a more serious reaction.

"If your bites and the local reactions do not fade away within a few days or your bites get infected or if you have severe symptoms, such as swelling and blistering, you may need to see your doctor. If you have a severe allergic reaction to an insect bite, such as wheezing, or other signs of respiratory distress, or hypotension, you should call 999 immediately for medical assistance."

In cases where there is no allergic reaction, a cold compress, such as a cold flannel, or ice pack, can be used to ease any pain and inflammation. Steroid creams, such as hydrocortisone, or antihistamines (cream or tablets) are available over-the-counter at pharmacies, as well as on prescription, and will help to ease any itchiness and inflammation.

-- NHS Direct is at the forefront of 24 hour health care delivering telephone and e-health information services day and night direct to the public

-- NHS Direct provides health information and advice 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

-- NHS Direct handles around 6.5 million telephone calls a year

-- The NHS Direct website http://www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk attracts approximately 2 million visits each month

-- NHS Direct on Freeview was launched just before Christmas 2006 and together with the service on Sky Digital means that over 14 million households have access to hundreds of pages packed with health information. These include:

- Answers to common health questions,
- Advice on healthy living such as: eating well, exercise and giving up smoking
- Information about NHS Services
- Features on long-term health conditions
- News on current health issues

-- NHS Direct is accessed on Freeview by going to channel 108.

-- NHS Direct Interactive on Sky Digital TV includes 3000 pages of information on 500 health topics.

-- NHS Direct Interactive on Sky Digital is accessed by pressing the interactive button on the Sky Digital remote control, scrolling down to NHS Direct Interactive and pressing Select.

http://www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk