The Latest Breaking News from Susan Hopkins

The variant is a "recombinant" form of Covid - meaning it has been brought together from at least two different viral sources, but UKHSA experts say it's too early to know whether it is more transmissible than previous versions

Experts say it's too early to say what the impact will be

Hundreds of cases of ‘XE’ have been detected in England but experts still investigating level of risk

A woman in the UK is being treated for Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever after travelling to central Asia.

Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is an illness typically spread through ticks and livestock animals in countries where the disease is endemic.

Potentially fatal viral disease caused by ticks and livestock identified only twice before in Britain

Around 30% of patients die, usually in the second week of infection

A chief medic said the virus ‘does not spread easily between people and the overall risk to the public is very low’.

A woman has been diagnosed in the UK with Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever following travel to Central Asia, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said.