Prospective Multicentre Observational Study of Imported Arboviral infections in the United Kingdom (ARBO-UK).

Arbovirus infections can have a range of different effects on humans. Sometimes people may not even be aware they have been infected but more commonly people can experience headaches,muscle aches,high temperatures and a rash. Some people can experience very severe illnesses such as excessive bleeding (haemorrhage) throughout the body or inflammation in the brain (encephalitis). Sadly,in some cases,this can cause them to die. Arboviruses are found all around the world,mostly in tropical regions but in other places too. Worldwide,they are a huge problem. Dengue virus alone causes approximately 100 million symptomatic illnesses annually. The largest number of dengue cases ever reported globally was in 2019. Arboviruses don’t occur much in the UK,though there some rare examples that affect animals,and very rarely people. However,they are a cause of illnesses in people who have travelled to places where the infections are common and then returned back to the UK. We will be asking people who have a confirmed positive test for an Arbovirus to be involved in the study. If they agree,they will be asked to provide a blood sample and throat swab at the time or obtain access to their sample sent to RIPL,then two further blood samples and throat swabs at 1 month and 6 months after their illness. We will obtain information from their doctors and nurses regarding the participants illness,how it affected them at the time,what treatments they needed and how their recovery went. We will also request the participant completes a short questionnaire at these time points too. Anyone aged 18 years and over will be eligible to be recruited into the study. The study will last for 3 years from commencing.