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Vasić A, Zdravković N, Aniță D, Bojkovski J, Marinov M, Mathis A, Niculaua M, Oșlobanu EL, Pavlović I, Petrić D, Pflüger V, Pudar D, Savuţa G, Simeunović P, Veronesi E, Silaghi C. Species diversity, host preference and arbovirus detection of Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) in south-eastern Serbia. Parasit Vectors 2019; 12:61. [PMID: 30683145 PMCID: PMC6347842 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-019-3292-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2018] [Accepted: 01/07/2019] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) is a genus of small biting midges (also known as "no-see ums") that currently includes 1368 described species. They are proven or suspected vectors for important pathogens affecting animals such as bluetongue virus (BTV) and Schmallenberg virus (SBV). Currently little information is available on the species of Culicoides present in Serbia. Thus, the aim of this study was to examine species diversity, host preference and the presence of BTV and SBV RNA in Culicoides from the Stara Planina Nature Park in south-eastern Serbia. RESULTS In total 19,887 individual Culicoides were collected during three nights of trapping at two farm sites and pooled into six groups (Obsoletus group, Pulicaris group, "Others" group and further each group according to the blood-feeding status to freshly engorged and non-engorged). Species identification was done on subsamples of 592 individual Culicoides specimens by morphological and molecular methods (MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry and PCR/sequencing). At least 22 Culicoides species were detected. Four animal species (cow, sheep, goat and common blackbird) as well as humans were identified as hosts of Culicoides biting midges. The screening of 8291 Culicoides specimens in 99 pools for the presence of BTV and SBV RNA by reverse-transcription quantitative PCR were negative. CONCLUSIONS The biodiversity of Culicoides species in the natural reserve Stara Planina was high with at least 22 species present. The presence of C. imicola Kieffer was not recorded in this area. Culicoides showed opportunistic feeding behaviour as determined by host preference. The absence of SBV and BTV viral RNA correlates with the absence of clinical disease in the field during the time of sampling. These data are the direct outcome of a training programme within the Institutional Partnership Project "AMSAR: Arbovirus monitoring, research and surveillance-capacity building on mosquitoes and biting midges" funded by the programme SCOPES of the Swiss National Science Foundation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Vasić
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia.,Institute of Infectology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute, Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Nemanja Zdravković
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia.,Scientific Veterinary Institute of Serbia, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Dragoș Aniță
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of Iaşi, Iaşi, Romania
| | - Jovan Bojkovski
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Mihai Marinov
- Danube Delta National Institute for Research and Development, Tulcea, Romania
| | - Alexander Mathis
- National Centre for Vector Entomology, Institute of Parasitology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | | | | | - Ivan Pavlović
- Scientific Veterinary Institute of Serbia, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Dušan Petrić
- Faculty for Agriculture, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia
| | | | - Dubravka Pudar
- Faculty for Agriculture, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia
| | | | - Predrag Simeunović
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Eva Veronesi
- National Centre for Vector Entomology, Institute of Parasitology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Cornelia Silaghi
- Institute of Infectology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute, Insel Riems, Germany. .,National Centre for Vector Entomology, Institute of Parasitology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland. .,Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-Universität, Greifswald, Germany.
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