Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have made an assessment of the impact of gamebird releases on Lyme disease risk.

Direct impacts of gamebird releases on Lyme disease risk are difficult to quantify due to the complex transmission cycle that occurs between Borrelia and a wide range of British wildlife. The lack of clarity on where humans are exposed to infected ticks, as well as levels of engagement in protective behaviours that reduce disease risk further complicates matters.

A recent study by the University of Exeter and the UK Health Security Agency in southwest England compared woodlands with and without pheasant release and provided evidence that woodlands with pheasants have a higher percentage of ticks infected with the bacteria that can cause Lyme disease. The study, however, did not link this directly with human case data and thus cannot be used to infer Lyme disease risk.