Sussex is on a mosquito alert in case the dangerous Asian Tiger variety finds its way to the South of England.
The Environment Agency has protection measures in place and GPs are being told to watch out for any patients with symptoms of its bite.
With warmer weather on the way there are fears more mosquitos, including the Asian Tiger, could find their way to isolated parts of Sussex.
Eggs of the mosquito have been found in France, Italy, Spain and Switzerland. So far there have been no reports of the mosquito or any connected diseases in southern England.
But doctors in the South have been urged by the Government's Health Protection Agency to keep a watch out for any illnesses that could have been caused by mosquito bites suffered by people returning from trips abroad.
The mosquito, called the Asian Tiger because of its stripes, carries a parasitic worm which has been known to attach itself to arteries in the lung, causing breathing difficulties.
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