Hospital visits in England for insect and spider bites more than doubled in May compared to previous months, as multiple heatwaves led to a surge in people seeking advice on the NHS website.
Analysis of figures by NHS England found there were 90,206 visits to the NHS website page on bites and stings in June. This soared by 35.2 per cent in July, when there were 121,976 visits. Visits to the NHS website peaked in the week of July 6, with some 33,972 visits, the equivalent of one every 18 seconds.
May figures show sharp rise
The analysis also found there had been some 1,232 hospital visits for insect and spider bites in May, more than double the 495 recorded in April.
Professor Frankie Swords, national medical director at NHS England, said: "Insect bites and stings often increase during the summer and this month we've seen a large rise in the number of people seeking advice on these from the NHS website.
"If you or your family member has been bitten or stung, the NHS website provides a wealth of useful information on what to do and how to treat the symptoms, as well as when to consult your community pharmacist.
"A pharmacist can also recommend and provide treatments, such as antihistamines and steroid creams, and if appropriate, give the same antibiotics as a GP if need be when a bite or sting is infected."
Summer surge and drought fears
It comes after health officials said there had been some record 2.5 million A&E attendances in July as the health service faced a "summer surge."
Rain did arrive in some parts of the UK this week following the fifth heatwave of the year so far, but it is feared it will not be enough to offset the effects of drought.
The hottest day of the year was recorded in Kew Gardens, London, on August 13, when temperatures hit 38.1C.
El Nino warning
The world is said to be "in for one hell of a ride" as an unprecedented El Nino event is set to bring more storms and rain to the UK, and affect weather patterns and harvests worldwide, experts have warned.
El Nino is declared when sea temperatures in the tropical eastern Pacific rise 0.5C above the long-term average, impacting global rainfall patterns and temperatures, with sea conditions in such an event typically between 1C and 2C above average.
But the natural warming of sea temperatures in the region is forecast to reach more than 3C in the coming months, making this year's event "the largest since the 19th century", according to the Met Office.
