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da Conceição Abreu Bandeira M, Cerqueira AB, Luiz Pinto Moraes J, Brazil RP, Rebêlo JMM. Diversity of Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) in Rural Settlements and Degraded Seasonal Deciduous Forests. J Med Entomol 2022; 59:240-247. [PMID: 34632513 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjab150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2020] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Biting midges are widespread in Brazilian natural ecosystems. However, deforestation and other activities that impact the environment are reducing natural habitats where biting midges proliferate. The objective of this study was to verify whether there is variation in the composition, richness, abundance, and seasonality of biting midges between wild and rural environments, in a forest area with intense deforestation. Biting midges were captured using 6 traps installed at an average height of 1.5 m in the peridomicile, intradomicile, and deciduous seasonal forests, once a month from May 2012 to April 2013. In total, 2,182 specimens of 13 species of the genus Culicoides were captured. Species richness was similar in the intradomicile (13 species), forest (12), and peridomicile (11), but species diversity was greater in the peridomicile (H' = 0.803) compared with the intradomicile (H' = 0.717) and forest (H' = 0.687). The order of species dominance varied between the forest (Culicoides paucienfuscatus Barbosa > Culicoides leopodoi Ortiz > Culicoides foxi Ortiz > Culicoides ignacioi Forattini) and peridomicile + intradomicile habitats (C. paucienfuscatus > C. foxi > C. filariferus Hoffman > C. ignacioi). The activity of these dipterans was strongly influenced by meteorological variables, as biting midges are predominant in the rainy season (80.7% of specimens), when higher rainfall, relative humidity, and lower temperatures prevail. The abundance of biting midges was higher in the peridomicile + intradomicile (83.7% of specimens) compared with the degraded forest (16.3%), a result that reflects the loss of forest habitat due to intense and progressive deforestation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria da Conceição Abreu Bandeira
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Parasitária-Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Laboratório de Entomologia e Vetores, Departamento de Biologia, Universidade Federal do Maranhão, São Luís, Maranhão, Brazil
- Laboratório de Doenças Parasitárias, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Allane Barros Cerqueira
- Laboratório de Entomologia e Vetores, Departamento de Biologia, Universidade Federal do Maranhão, São Luís, Maranhão, Brazil
| | - Jorge Luiz Pinto Moraes
- Laboratório de Entomologia e Vetores, Departamento de Biologia, Universidade Federal do Maranhão, São Luís, Maranhão, Brazil
| | - Reginaldo Peçanha Brazil
- Laboratório de Doenças Parasitárias, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - José Manuel Macário Rebêlo
- Laboratório de Entomologia e Vetores, Departamento de Biologia, Universidade Federal do Maranhão, São Luís, Maranhão, Brazil
- Departamento de Biologia, Universidade Federal do Maranhão, São Luís, Maranhão, Brazil
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Duan YL, Yang ZX, Bellis G, Li L. Isolation of Tibet Orbivirus from Culicoides jacobsoni (Diptera, Ceratopogonidae) in China. Parasit Vectors 2021; 14:432. [PMID: 34454575 PMCID: PMC8401062 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-021-04899-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2021] [Accepted: 07/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Tibet Orbivirus (TIBOV) is a recently discovered Orbivirus known to infect cattle, Asian buffalo and goats in south-western China. It was first isolated from mosquitoes and subsequently from biting midges (Culicoides spp.) in Yunnan, China, indicating that it is an arbovirus. Little is known of its potential to cause disease, but the economic importance of related viruses promoted an investigation of potential Culicoides spp. vectors of TIBOV. METHODS Biting midges were collected approximately once per week between May and December 2020, at a cattle farm in Wulong village, Shizong County, Yunnan Province, China. Approximately 3000 specimens of nine species were subsequently used in attempts to isolate virus, and a further 2000 specimens of six species were tested for the presence of bluetongue virus (BTV) and TIBOV using a RT-qPCR test. RESULTS Virus isolation attempts resulted in the isolation of three viruses. One isolate from a pool of Culicoides jacobsoni was identified as TIBOV, while the other two viruses from C. orientalis and C. tainanus remain unidentified but are not BTV or TIBOV. RT-qPCR analysis did not detect BTV in any specimens, but a single pool containing five specimens of C. jacobsoni and another containing five specimens of C. tainanus produced PCR quantification cycle (Cq) values of around 28 that may indicate infection with TIBOV. CONCLUSIONS The isolation of TIBOV from C. jacobsoni satisfies one criterion required to prove its status as a vector of this virus. This isolation is supported by a low Cq value produced from a different pool of this species in the RT-qPCR test. The low Cq value obtained from a pool of C. tainanus suggests that this species may also be able to satisfy this criterion. Both of these species are widespread throughout Asia, with C. jacobsoni extending into the Pacific region, which raises the possibility that TIBOV may be more widespread than is currently known.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Liang Duan
- Yunnan Tropical and Subtropical Animal Virus Diseases Laboratory, Yunnan Animal Science and Veterinary Institute, Kunming, Yunnan China
| | - Zhen Xing Yang
- Yunnan Tropical and Subtropical Animal Virus Diseases Laboratory, Yunnan Animal Science and Veterinary Institute, Kunming, Yunnan China
| | - Glenn Bellis
- Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT Australia
- Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment, Darwin, NT Australia
| | - Le Li
- Yunnan Tropical and Subtropical Animal Virus Diseases Laboratory, Yunnan Animal Science and Veterinary Institute, Kunming, Yunnan China
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Pramual P, Jomkumsing P, Piraonapicha K, Jumpato W. Integrative taxonomy uncovers a new Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) biting midge species from Thailand. Acta Trop 2021; 220:105941. [PMID: 33951420 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2021.105941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2021] [Revised: 04/24/2021] [Accepted: 04/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Fully understanding biodiversity often requires an integrated approach especially for small insects because species diagnostic morphological characters are limited. In this study, morphological characters and DNA barcodes were used to examine previously recognized genetically divergent lineages detected in the biting midge, Culicoides arakawae (Arakawa), from Thailand. Morphological examinations revealed that specimens belonging to one lineage are morphologically different from C. arakawae in shape of the paramere in males, and in the leg color pattern of both sexes. Therefore, a formal description is provided for this new species, Culicoides mahasarakhamense sp. nov. Based on morphological characters including a large and shallow palpal pit, one sac like spermatheca and male with parameres bent at base with large basal knob, the new species was assigned into the subgenus Meijerehelea Wirth and Hubert. Morphological differentiation including wing pattern and shape of spermatheca of the new species are discussed and compared with other members of this subgenus. Mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase I sequence analysis indicated that this new species is different from other members of the subgenus Meijerehelea with minimum interspecific genetic divergence of 3.92%. Automatic Barcode Gap Discovery species delimitation analysis also supported the recognition of a new species. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that the new species is closely related to C. arakawae, consistent with morphological similarity of these species. Results of this study highlight the necessity of using integrated approach for Culicoides taxonomy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pairot Pramual
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Mahasarakham University, Kantharawichai District, Maha Sarakham 44150, Thailand.
| | - Panya Jomkumsing
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Mahasarakham University, Kantharawichai District, Maha Sarakham 44150, Thailand
| | - Kanyakorn Piraonapicha
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand
| | - Waraporn Jumpato
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Mahasarakham University, Kantharawichai District, Maha Sarakham 44150, Thailand
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Snyman J, Snyman LP, Labuschagne K, Venter GJ, Venter M. The utilisation of CytB and COI barcodes for the identification of bloodmeals and Culicoides species (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) reveals a variety of novel wildlife hosts in South Africa. Acta Trop 2021; 219:105913. [PMID: 33831346 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2021.105913] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2021] [Revised: 03/29/2021] [Accepted: 03/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Biting midges in the genus Culicoides (Diptera; Ceratopogonidae) are vectors of pathogens that can cause diseases of major economic importance in humans and animals. Identifying host ranges of these biting midges might aid in understanding the complex epidemiology of such diseases, often involving reservoir hosts and multiple species. In this study, we aim to identify bloodmeal origin from engorged female Culicoides biting midges. All bloodfed females were opportunistically collected as part of an ongoing surveillance programme using Onderstepoort light traps in two provinces in South Africa. DNA of individuals was extracted and subjected to PCR targeting the cytochrome B (CytB) gene region of mammals and avians as well as cytochrome oxidase I (COI) for species identification. In total, 21 new reference barcodes were generated for C. bedfordi, C imicola, C. leucosticus, C. magnus, and C. pycnostictus. Seventy-four blood meals were identified, originating from 12 mammal and three avian species. COI sequence data performed well for species delimitation and 54 Culicoides specimens were identified with C. imicola the predominant species identified (41.8%). Generally, Culicoides species feed on a variety of hosts and host availability might be an important factor when selecting a host. Culicoides species thus appear to be opportunistic feeders rather than specialists. This implicates Culicoides as transfer vectors and demonstrates possible transmission routes of arboviruses and other pathogens from wildlife onwards to domestic animals and humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jumari Snyman
- Centre for Viral Zoonoses, Department Medical Virology, Faculty of Health Science, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Louwrens P Snyman
- Durban Natural Science Museum, Durban, South Africa; Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Karien Labuschagne
- Epidemiology, Parasites and Vectors, Agricultural Research Council-Onderstepoort Veterinary Research, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Gert J Venter
- Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa; Epidemiology, Parasites and Vectors, Agricultural Research Council-Onderstepoort Veterinary Research, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Marietjie Venter
- Centre for Viral Zoonoses, Department Medical Virology, Faculty of Health Science, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa.
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Grimaud Y, Tran A, Benkimoun S, Boucher F, Esnault O, Cêtre-Sossah C, Cardinale E, Garros C, Guis H. Spatio-temporal modelling of Culicoides Latreille (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) populations on Reunion Island (Indian Ocean). Parasit Vectors 2021; 14:288. [PMID: 34044880 PMCID: PMC8161615 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-021-04780-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2020] [Accepted: 05/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Reunion Island regularly faces outbreaks of bluetongue and epizootic hemorrhagic diseases, two insect-borne orbiviral diseases of ruminants. Hematophagous midges of the genus Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) are the vectors of bluetongue (BTV) and epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHDV) viruses. In a previous study, statistical models based on environmental and meteorological data were developed for the five Culicoides species present in the island to provide a better understanding of their ecology and predict their presence and abundance. The purpose of this study was to couple these statistical models with a Geographic Information System (GIS) to produce dynamic maps of the distribution of Culicoides throughout the island. METHODS Based on meteorological data from ground weather stations and satellite-derived environmental data, the abundance of each of the five Culicoides species was estimated for the 2214 husbandry locations on the island for the period ranging from February 2016 to June 2018. A large-scale Culicoides sampling campaign including 100 farms was carried out in March 2018 to validate the model. RESULTS According to the model predictions, no husbandry location was free of Culicoides throughout the study period. The five Culicoides species were present on average in 57.0% of the husbandry locations for C. bolitinos Meiswinkel, 40.7% for C. enderleini Cornet & Brunhes, 26.5% for C. grahamii Austen, 87.1% for C. imicola Kieffer and 91.8% for C. kibatiensis Goetghebuer. The models also showed high seasonal variations in their distribution. During the validation process, predictions were acceptable for C. bolitinos, C. enderleini and C. kibatiensis, with normalized root mean square errors (NRMSE) of 15.4%, 13.6% and 16.5%, respectively. The NRMSE was 27.4% for C. grahamii. For C. imicola, the NRMSE was acceptable (11.9%) considering all husbandry locations except in two specific areas, the Cirque de Salazie-an inner mountainous part of the island-and the sea edge, where the model overestimated its abundance. CONCLUSIONS Our model provides, for the first time to our knowledge, an operational tool to better understand and predict the distribution of Culicoides in Reunion Island. As it predicts a wide spatial distribution of the five Culicoides species throughout the year and taking into consideration their vector competence, our results suggest that BTV and EHDV can circulate continuously on the island. As further actions, our model could be coupled with an epidemiological model of BTV and EHDV transmission to improve risk assessment of Culicoides-borne diseases on the island.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yannick Grimaud
- GDS Réunion, 1 rue du Père Hauck, 97418 La Plaine des Cafres, La Réunion, France
- University of Reunion Island, 15 avenue René Cassin, Sainte-Clotilde, 97715 La Réunion, France
- CIRAD, UMR ASTRE, Sainte-Clotilde, 97490 La Réunion, France
- ASTRE, University of Montpellier, CIRAD, INRAE, Montpellier, France
| | - Annelise Tran
- CIRAD, UMR ASTRE, Sainte-Clotilde, 97490 La Réunion, France
- ASTRE, University of Montpellier, CIRAD, INRAE, Montpellier, France
- CIRAD, UMR TETIS, Sainte-Clotilde, 97490 La Réunion, France
- TETIS, University of Montpellier, AgroParisTech, CIRAD, CNRS, INRAE, Montpellier, France
| | - Samuel Benkimoun
- CIRAD, UMR ASTRE, Sainte-Clotilde, 97490 La Réunion, France
- ASTRE, University of Montpellier, CIRAD, INRAE, Montpellier, France
- CIRAD, UMR TETIS, Sainte-Clotilde, 97490 La Réunion, France
- TETIS, University of Montpellier, AgroParisTech, CIRAD, CNRS, INRAE, Montpellier, France
| | - Floriane Boucher
- CIRAD, UMR ASTRE, Sainte-Clotilde, 97490 La Réunion, France
- ASTRE, University of Montpellier, CIRAD, INRAE, Montpellier, France
| | - Olivier Esnault
- GDS Réunion, 1 rue du Père Hauck, 97418 La Plaine des Cafres, La Réunion, France
| | - Catherine Cêtre-Sossah
- CIRAD, UMR ASTRE, Sainte-Clotilde, 97490 La Réunion, France
- ASTRE, University of Montpellier, CIRAD, INRAE, Montpellier, France
| | - Eric Cardinale
- CIRAD, UMR ASTRE, Sainte-Clotilde, 97490 La Réunion, France
- ASTRE, University of Montpellier, CIRAD, INRAE, Montpellier, France
| | - Claire Garros
- CIRAD, UMR ASTRE, Sainte-Clotilde, 97490 La Réunion, France
- ASTRE, University of Montpellier, CIRAD, INRAE, Montpellier, France
| | - Hélène Guis
- ASTRE, University of Montpellier, CIRAD, INRAE, Montpellier, France
- CIRAD, UMR ASTRE, 101 Antananarivo, Madagascar
- Institut Pasteur of Madagascar, Epidemiology and Clinical Research Unit, Antananarivo, Madagascar
- FOFIFA DRZVP, Antananarivo, Madagascar
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Jomkumsing P, Surapinit A, Saengpara T, Pramual P. Genetic variation, DNA barcoding and blood meal identification of Culicoides Latreille biting midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) in Thailand. Acta Trop 2021; 217:105866. [PMID: 33607064 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2021.105866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2021] [Revised: 02/09/2021] [Accepted: 02/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Biting midges of the genus Culicoides Latreille are blood sucking insects of medical and veterinary importance. Many species are vectors of disease agents transmitted to humans and other animals. Therefore, rapid and accurate species identification is essential for appreciation of all aspects of these insects. In this study, DNA barcode efficacy and molecular identification of host blood sources were examined in biting midges from Thailand. A total of 203 barcoding sequences were obtained from 16 Culicoides taxa. Intraspecific genetic divergence varied from 0.28% to 9.90% for specimens collected in Thailand. Despite this high level of genetic variation, DNA barcode identifications in the Barcoding of Life Data System had a considerable success rate (90%). Phylogenetic analyses and distance-based species delimitation methods indicated the possibility of cryptic species in four taxa, namely, Culicoides actoni Smit, C. arakawae Arakawa, C. huffi Causey and C. jacobsoni Macfie. Further investigations will be required to examine the species status of these lineages. Host blood meal identifications from 42 blood engorged females of 10 Culicoides taxa revealed three animal hosts: chicken, cattle and buffalo. Most of this information agrees with previous knowledge but this is the first report of C. actoni, C. fulvus and C. huffi feeding on chicken.
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Affiliation(s)
- Panya Jomkumsing
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Mahasarakham University, Kantharawichai District, Maha Sarakham 44150 Thailand
| | - Achirawit Surapinit
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Mahasarakham University, Kantharawichai District, Maha Sarakham 44150 Thailand
| | - Tanapon Saengpara
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Mahasarakham University, Kantharawichai District, Maha Sarakham 44150 Thailand
| | - Pairot Pramual
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Mahasarakham University, Kantharawichai District, Maha Sarakham 44150 Thailand.
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Venegas P, Pérez N, Zapata S, Mosquera JD, Augot D, Rojo-Álvarez JL, Benítez D. An approach to automatic classification of Culicoides species by learning the wing morphology. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0241798. [PMID: 33147271 PMCID: PMC7641368 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0241798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2020] [Accepted: 10/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Fast and accurate identification of biting midges is crucial in the study of Culicoides-borne diseases. In this work, we propose a two-stage method for automatically analyzing Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) species. First, an image preprocessing task composed of median and Wiener filters followed by equalization and morphological operations is used to improve the quality of the wing image in order to allow an adequate segmentation of particles of interest. Then, the segmentation of the zones of interest inside the biting midge wing is made using the watershed transform. The proposed method is able to produce optimal feature vectors that help to identify Culicoides species. A database containing wing images of C. obsoletus, C. pusillus, C. foxi, and C. insignis species was used to test its performance. Feature relevance analysis indicated that the mean of hydraulic radius and eccentricity were relevant for the decision boundary between C. obsoletus and C. pusillus species. In contrast, the number of particles and the mean of the hydraulic radius was relevant for deciding between C. foxi and C. insignis species. Meanwhile, for distinguishing among the four species, the number of particles and zones, and the mean of circularity were the most relevant features. The linear discriminant analysis classifier was the best model for the three experimental classification scenarios previously described, achieving averaged areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.98, 0.90, and 0.96, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo Venegas
- Colegio de Ciencias e Ingenierías “El Politécnico”, Universidad San Francisco de Quito USFQ, Quito, Ecuador
| | - Noel Pérez
- Colegio de Ciencias e Ingenierías “El Politécnico”, Universidad San Francisco de Quito USFQ, Quito, Ecuador
| | - Sonia Zapata
- Instituto de Microbiología, Colegio de Ciencias Biológicas y Ambientales “COCIBA”, Universidad San Francisco de Quito USFQ, Quito, Ecuador
| | - Juan Daniel Mosquera
- Instituto de Microbiología, Colegio de Ciencias Biológicas y Ambientales “COCIBA”, Universidad San Francisco de Quito USFQ, Quito, Ecuador
| | - Denis Augot
- Usc Vecpar, ANSES LSA, EA7510, Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne, Reims, France
| | - José Luis Rojo-Álvarez
- Department of Signal Theory and Communications, Rey Juan Carlos University, Fuenlabrada, Spain
| | - Diego Benítez
- Colegio de Ciencias e Ingenierías “El Politécnico”, Universidad San Francisco de Quito USFQ, Quito, Ecuador
- * E-mail:
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Belkharchouche M, Berchi S, Mathieu B, Rakotoarivony I, Duhayon M, Baldet T, Balenghien T. Update of the Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) species checklist from Algeria with 10 new records. Parasit Vectors 2020; 13:463. [PMID: 32912306 PMCID: PMC7488159 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-020-04335-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2020] [Accepted: 09/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The Culicoides fauna of Algeria has been historically investigated, leading to the description of many new species by Kieffer in the 1920s, Clastrier in the 1950s or Callot in the 1960s and to a comprehensive inventory by Szadziewski in the 1980s. The emergence of bluetongue in the late 1990s enhanced Culicoides collections made in the country over the last two decades, but information remained mostly unpublished. The aim of this study is therefore to provide a comprehensive and updated checklist of Culicoides biting midge species in Algeria. METHODS The literature (published and grey, in French and in English) from 1920 to date on Culicoides collections in Algeria was collected and analyzed in the light of the current taxonomic and systematic knowledge and methods. Fresh Culicoides material was also analyzed using light/suction trap collections carried out from November 2015 to September 2018 in nine localities of the 'wilayah' of Tiaret (northwestern Algeria). Slide mounted specimens were identified morphologically using the interactive identification key IIKC and original descriptions. Specimens were then compared with non-type material originating from different countries and partly with type material. RESULTS A total of 13,709 Culicoides, belonging to at least 36 species within 10 subgenera, were examined leading to 10 new records in Algeria, including C. chiopterus, C. dewulfi, C. navaiae, C. grisescens, C. paradoxalis, C. shaklawensis, C. simulator, C. univittatus, C. achrayi and C. picturatus. These new records and all previous records provided by the literature review were discussed. CONCLUSIONS We propose a Culicoides checklist for the Algerian fauna of 59 valid species, including species mainly with a large Palaearctic distribution and a specific Mediterranean distribution, and only a few species from the Afrotropical region. Among them, several species, mainly of the subgenera Avaritia and Culicoides, are confirmed or probable vectors of arboviruses important in animal health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mounira Belkharchouche
- Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Biotechnologie, Taoufik Khaznadar, nouveau pôle universitaire Ali Mendjeli, B.P. E66, 25100 Constantine, Algérie
- Faculté des Sciences de la Nature et de la Vie, Université Ibn Khaldoun, B.P.75 Zaaroura, Tiaret, 1400 Algérie
- Laboratoire de Biosystématique et Ecologie des Arthropodes, Faculté des Sciences de la Nature et de la Vie, Département de Biologie Animale, Université Frères Mentouri, Constantine 1, 2500 Algérie
- CIRAD, UMR ASTRE, 34398 Montpellier, France
| | - Selima Berchi
- Laboratoire de Biosystématique et Ecologie des Arthropodes, Faculté des Sciences de la Nature et de la Vie, Département de Biologie Animale, Université Frères Mentouri, Constantine 1, 2500 Algérie
| | - Bruno Mathieu
- Institut de Parasitologie et de Pathologies Tropicales de Strasbourg (IPPTS), UR 7292, 3 Rue Koeberlé, 67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Ignace Rakotoarivony
- CIRAD, UMR ASTRE, 34398 Montpellier, France
- ASTRE, University of Montpellier, CIRAD, INRAE, Montpellier, France
| | - Maxime Duhayon
- CIRAD, UMR ASTRE, 34398 Montpellier, France
- ASTRE, University of Montpellier, CIRAD, INRAE, Montpellier, France
| | - Thierry Baldet
- ASTRE, University of Montpellier, CIRAD, INRAE, Montpellier, France
- CIRAD, UMR ASTRE, 97491 Sainte-Clotilde, La Réunion France
| | - Thomas Balenghien
- ASTRE, University of Montpellier, CIRAD, INRAE, Montpellier, France
- CIRAD, UMR ASTRE, 10101 Rabat, Morocco
- Institut Agronomique et Vétérinaire Hassan II, Unité Microbiologie, Immunologie et Maladies Contagieuses, 10100 Rabat, Morocco
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Hakima B, Hwang HS, Lee KY. Molecular identification of Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) species in Algeria. Acta Trop 2020; 202:105261. [PMID: 31705843 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2019.105261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2018] [Revised: 05/07/2019] [Accepted: 11/05/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Bluetongue is a serious vector-borne viral disease that infects wild and domestic ruminants. The causative virus is transmitted by midges of the genus Culicoides, which consists of at least 1350 species worldwide. Since 1998, bluetongue disease has spread to Europe and northern Africa, including Algeria. To better understand the distribution of Culicoides species in Algeria, adult midges were collected from 17 different regions in Algeria from 2009 to 2015. At first, 492 specimens were grouped into 52 batches by wing patterns and geographic area of Algeria. Analysis of 60 nucleotide sequences of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) gene showed that the presence of 14 species including five unknown species, which were belonged to seven distinct subgenera. At least five species (C. imicola, C. obsoletus, C. puncticollis, C. kingi, and C. newsteadi) were discussed as potential vectors of bluetongue virus (BTV). The present study provides important insights into the genetic diversity of Culicoides and the potential spread of BTV in Algeria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Berrayah Hakima
- Parasitology and Histology Laboratory, Central Veterinary Laboratory of Algiers, Algerian National Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Algeria; Division of Applied Biosciences, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Republic of Korea
| | - Hwal-Su Hwang
- Division of Applied Biosciences, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyeong-Yeoll Lee
- Division of Applied Biosciences, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Republic of Korea; Institute of Plant Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Republic of Korea; Agricultural Science and Technology Institute, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Republic of Korea.
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10
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Riddin MA, Venter GJ, Labuschagne K, Villet MH. Culicoides species as potential vectors of African horse sickness virus in the southern regions of South Africa. Med Vet Entomol 2019; 33:498-511. [PMID: 31172556 DOI: 10.1111/mve.12391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2018] [Revised: 04/25/2019] [Accepted: 05/13/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
African horse sickness (AHS), a disease of equids caused by the AHS virus, is of major concern in South Africa. With mortality reaching up to 95% in susceptible horses and the apparent reoccurrence of cases in regions deemed non-endemic, most particularly the Eastern Cape, epidemiological research into factors contributing to the increase in the range of this economically important virus became imperative. The vectors, Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae), are considered unable to proliferate during the unfavourable climatic conditions experienced in winter in the province, although the annual occurrence of AHS suggests that the virus has become established and that vector activity continues throughout the year. Surveillance of Culicoides within the province is sparse and little was known of the diversity of vector species or the abundance of known vectors, Culicoides imicola and Culicoides bolitinos. Surveillance was performed using light trapping methods at selected sites with varying equid species over two winter and two outbreak seasons, aiming to determine diversity, abundance and vector epidemiology of Culicoides within the province. The research provided an updated checklist of Culicoides species within the Eastern Cape, contributing to an increase in the knowledge of AHS vector epidemiology, as well as prevention and control in southern Africa.
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Affiliation(s)
- M A Riddin
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa
| | - G J Venter
- Epidemiology, Parasites and Vectors, Agricultural Research Council-Onderstepoort Veterinary Research, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - K Labuschagne
- Epidemiology, Parasites and Vectors, Agricultural Research Council-Onderstepoort Veterinary Research, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - M H Villet
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa
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Duan C, Jiang XH, Han XJ, Hou XH. Description of a New Species of Forcipomyia (Forcipomyia) (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) and a Key to Species of the Subgenus From the Chinese Mainland. J Med Entomol 2019; 56:1614-1622. [PMID: 31294453 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjz108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Forcipomyia (Forcipomyia) makanensis Hou sp. n. (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) is described and illustrated based on male and female specimens from China. It is characterized by the male aedeagus triangular, with large cone-shaped process at apex, basal arch high, basal arm slender and curved, parameres separate narrower distance at base, cone-shaped apically, and the female subgenital plate pliers-shaped, without lateral process, with two spermathecae, oval, nearly equal. The new species is compared with the similar congener F. (Forcipomyia) lochmocola Zou and Yu, 1991. We provide separate keys for identification of the males and females of the species of subgenus F. (Forcipomyia) Meigen in China.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Duan
- Cell Biology Department, Zunyi Medical University, Xinpu, Zunyi, Guizhou Province, China
| | - Xiao Hong Jiang
- Cell Biology Department, Zunyi Medical University, Xinpu, Zunyi, Guizhou Province, China
| | - Xiao Jing Han
- Cell Biology Department, Zunyi Medical University, Xinpu, Zunyi, Guizhou Province, China
| | - Xiao Hui Hou
- Cell Biology Department, Zunyi Medical University, Xinpu, Zunyi, Guizhou Province, China
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Duan YL, Bellis G, Li L, Li HC, Miao HS, Kou ML, Liao DF, Wang Z, Gao L, Li JZ. Potential vectors of bluetongue virus in high altitude areas of Yunnan Province, China. Parasit Vectors 2019; 12:464. [PMID: 31585545 PMCID: PMC6778386 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-019-3736-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2019] [Accepted: 09/30/2019] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Bluetongue disease of ruminants is a typical insect-borne disease caused by bluetongue virus (BTV) of the genus Orbivirus (family Reoviridae) and transmitted by some species of Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae). Recently, the detection of BTV in yaks in high altitude meadows of the Shangri-La district of Yunnan Province, China, prompted an investigation of the Culicoides fauna as potential vectors of BTV. METHODS A total of 806 Culicoides midges were collected by light trapping at three sites at altitudes ranging from 1800 to 3300 m. The species were identified based on morphology and the DNA sequences of cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (cox1). PCR and quantitative PCR following reverse transcription were used to test for the presence of BTV RNA in Culicoides spp. A phylogenetic analysis was used to analyze the cox1 sequences of some specimens. RESULTS Four species dominated these collections and cox1 barcoding revealed that at least two of these appear to belong to species new to science. Culicoides tainanus and a cryptic species morphologically similar to C. tainanus dominated low altitude valley collections while C. nielamensis was the most abundant species in the high-altitude meadow. A species related to C. obsoletus occurred at all altitudes but did not dominate any of the collections. BTV RT-qPCR analysis detected BTV RNA in two specimens of C. tainanus, in one specimen closely related to C. tainanus and in one specimen closely related to C. obsoletus by barcode sequencing. CONCLUSIONS This study suggests that BTV in high altitude areas of Yunnan is being transmitted by three species of Culicoides, two of which appear to be new to science. This research may be useful in improving understanding of the effects of global warming on arboviral disease epidemiology and further study is important in research into disease control and prevention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Liang Duan
- Yunnan Tropical and Subtropical Animal Virus Diseases Laboratory, Yunnan Animal Science and Veterinary Institute, Kunming, Yunnan Province China
| | - Glenn Bellis
- Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT Australia
| | - Le Li
- Yunnan Tropical and Subtropical Animal Virus Diseases Laboratory, Yunnan Animal Science and Veterinary Institute, Kunming, Yunnan Province China
| | - Hua Chun Li
- Yunnan Tropical and Subtropical Animal Virus Diseases Laboratory, Yunnan Animal Science and Veterinary Institute, Kunming, Yunnan Province China
| | - Hai Sheng Miao
- Yunnan Tropical and Subtropical Animal Virus Diseases Laboratory, Yunnan Animal Science and Veterinary Institute, Kunming, Yunnan Province China
| | - Mei Ling Kou
- Yunnan Tropical and Subtropical Animal Virus Diseases Laboratory, Yunnan Animal Science and Veterinary Institute, Kunming, Yunnan Province China
| | - De Fang Liao
- Yunnan Tropical and Subtropical Animal Virus Diseases Laboratory, Yunnan Animal Science and Veterinary Institute, Kunming, Yunnan Province China
| | - Zheng Wang
- Zhongdian Animal Disease Control Center, Shangri-La, Yunnan Province China
| | - Lin Gao
- Yunnan Tropical and Subtropical Animal Virus Diseases Laboratory, Yunnan Animal Science and Veterinary Institute, Kunming, Yunnan Province China
| | - Ji Zhong Li
- Zhongdian Animal Disease Control Center, Shangri-La, Yunnan Province China
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Catenacci LS, Nunes-Neto J, Deem SL, Palmer JL, Travassos-da Rosa ES, Tello JS. Diversity patterns of hematophagous insects in Atlantic forest fragments and human-modified areas of southern Bahia, Brazil. J Vector Ecol 2018; 43:293-304. [PMID: 30408294 DOI: 10.1111/jvec.12313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2018] [Accepted: 08/16/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
There have been several important outbreaks of mosquito-borne diseases in the Neotropics in recent years, particularly in Brazil. Some taxa are also considered to be indicators of environmental health. Despite the importance of understanding insect abundance and distribution to the understanding of disease dynamics and design strategies to manage them, very little is known about their ecology in many tropical regions. We studied the abundance and diversity of mosquitoes and sand flies in the Bahia State of Brazil, a point of origin for arbovirus outbreaks, including Zika and Chikungunya fever. During 2009-2014, 51 mosquito taxa were identified, belonging to three dipteran families, Ceratopogonidae, Culicidae, and Psychodidae. The family Culicidae, including the Sabethini tribe, were the most abundant (81.5%) and most taxa-rich (n=45). While season (winter and summer) was a strong factor determinant of the occurrence of the most abundant taxa, the stratification level in the forest (ground or tree level) had a strong effect and the dominant taxa at ground level were completely different from the dominant species collected at tree level. We suggest that sites with a mix of forest and agroforestry systems support the highest biodiversity of hematophagous insects as compared to highly disturbed landscapes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lilian S Catenacci
- Curso de Medicina Veterinária, Federal University of Piauí State/CPCE, Bom Jesus, PI, Brazil
- Division of Arbovirology and Hemorrhagic Fevers, Evandro Chagas Institute, Anannindeua, PA, Brazil
- Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp, Centre for Research and Conservation, Antwerp, Belgium
- Saint Louis Zoo, Institute for Conservation Medicine, St. Louis, MO, U.S.A
| | - Joaquim Nunes-Neto
- Division of Arbovirology and Hemorrhagic Fevers, Evandro Chagas Institute, Anannindeua, PA, Brazil
| | - Sharon L Deem
- Saint Louis Zoo, Institute for Conservation Medicine, St. Louis, MO, U.S.A
| | - Jamie L Palmer
- Saint Louis Zoo, Institute for Conservation Medicine, St. Louis, MO, U.S.A
| | | | - J Sebastian Tello
- Missouri Botanical Garden, Center for Conservation and Sustainable Development, St. Louis, MO, U.S.A
- Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Escuela de Biología, Quito, Ecuador
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Swanson DA, Kapaldo NO, Maki E, Carpenter JW, Cohnstaedt LW. Diversity and Abundance of Nonculicid Biting Flies (Diptera) In A Zoo Environment. J Am Mosq Control Assoc 2018; 34:265-271. [PMID: 31442142 DOI: 10.2987/18-6761.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The diversity of nonculicid biting flies was surveyed in Sunset Zoo, Manhattan, KS, by carbon dioxide-baited traps. A total of 8,399 nonculicid biting-fly females representing 32 species and 5 families were collected. Twenty-one biting midge (Ceratopogonidae: Culicoides) and 7 black fly (Simuliidae) species were collected, including new state records of 3 Culicoides and 1 simuliid. The species richness of Culicoides and Simuliidae within the zoo represents 72.4% and 41.2%, respectively, of the fauna known to occur in Kansas. Trap type significantly influenced (P < 0.05) collections of the 5 species analyzed, and trapping period affected 3 species. The diversity and abundance of nonculicid biting flies in the zoo as related to animal health and wellness is discussed.
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Venter GJ, Boikanyo SNB, De Beer CJ. The efficiency of light-emitting diode suction traps for the collection of South African livestock-associated Culicoides species. Med Vet Entomol 2018; 32:509-514. [PMID: 29952083 DOI: 10.1111/mve.12313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2018] [Revised: 04/16/2018] [Accepted: 05/11/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Culicoides biting midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) are vectors of a range of orbiviruses that cause important veterinary diseases such as bluetongue and African horse sickness. The effective monitoring of Culicoides species diversity and abundance, both at livestock and near potential wildlife hosts, is essential for risk management. The Onderstepoort 220-V ultraviolet (UV) light trap is extensively used for this purpose. Reducing its power requirements by fitting low-energy light-emitting diodes (LEDs) can lead to greater flexibility in monitoring. A comparison of the efficiency of the 220-V Onderstepoort trap (8-W fluorescent UV light) with the efficiency of the 220-V or 12-V Onderstepoort traps fitted with red, white, blue or green LEDs or a 12-V fluorescent Onderstepoort trap demonstrated the 220-V Onderstepoort trap to be the most efficient. All the results showed nulliparous Culicoides imicola Kieffer females to be the dominant grouping. Despite the lower numbers collected, 12-V traps can be used in field situations to determine the most abundant species.
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Affiliation(s)
- G J Venter
- Department of Epidemiology, Parasites and VectorsAgricultural Research Council-Onderstepoort Veterinary Research, Pretoria, South Africa
- Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - S N B Boikanyo
- Department of Epidemiology, Parasites and VectorsAgricultural Research Council-Onderstepoort Veterinary Research, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - C J De Beer
- Department of Epidemiology, Parasites and VectorsAgricultural Research Council-Onderstepoort Veterinary Research, Pretoria, South Africa
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Cuéllar AC, Jung Kjær L, Baum A, Stockmarr A, Skovgard H, Nielsen SA, Andersson MG, Lindström A, Chirico J, Lühken R, Steinke S, Kiel E, Gethmann J, Conraths FJ, Larska M, Smreczak M, Orłowska A, Hamnes I, Sviland S, Hopp P, Brugger K, Rubel F, Balenghien T, Garros C, Rakotoarivony I, Allène X, Lhoir J, Chavernac D, Delécolle JC, Mathieu B, Delécolle D, Setier-Rio ML, Venail R, Scheid B, Chueca MÁM, Barceló C, Lucientes J, Estrada R, Mathis A, Tack W, Bødker R. Monthly variation in the probability of presence of adult Culicoides populations in nine European countries and the implications for targeted surveillance. Parasit Vectors 2018; 11:608. [PMID: 30497537 PMCID: PMC6267925 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-018-3182-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2018] [Accepted: 11/05/2018] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Biting midges of the genus Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) are small hematophagous insects responsible for the transmission of bluetongue virus, Schmallenberg virus and African horse sickness virus to wild and domestic ruminants and equids. Outbreaks of these viruses have caused economic damage within the European Union. The spatio-temporal distribution of biting midges is a key factor in identifying areas with the potential for disease spread. The aim of this study was to identify and map areas of neglectable adult activity for each month in an average year. Average monthly risk maps can be used as a tool when allocating resources for surveillance and control programs within Europe. METHODS We modelled the occurrence of C. imicola and the Obsoletus and Pulicaris ensembles using existing entomological surveillance data from Spain, France, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Poland. The monthly probability of each vector species and ensembles being present in Europe based on climatic and environmental input variables was estimated with the machine learning technique Random Forest. Subsequently, the monthly probability was classified into three classes: Absence, Presence and Uncertain status. These three classes are useful for mapping areas of no risk, areas of high-risk targeted for animal movement restrictions, and areas with an uncertain status that need active entomological surveillance to determine whether or not vectors are present. RESULTS The distribution of Culicoides species ensembles were in agreement with their previously reported distribution in Europe. The Random Forest models were very accurate in predicting the probability of presence for C. imicola (mean AUC = 0.95), less accurate for the Obsoletus ensemble (mean AUC = 0.84), while the lowest accuracy was found for the Pulicaris ensemble (mean AUC = 0.71). The most important environmental variables in the models were related to temperature and precipitation for all three groups. CONCLUSIONS The duration periods with low or null adult activity can be derived from the associated monthly distribution maps, and it was also possible to identify and map areas with uncertain predictions. In the absence of ongoing vector surveillance, these maps can be used by veterinary authorities to classify areas as likely vector-free or as likely risk areas from southern Spain to northern Sweden with acceptable precision. The maps can also focus costly entomological surveillance to seasons and areas where the predictions and vector-free status remain uncertain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Carolina Cuéllar
- Division for Diagnostics and Scientific Advice, National Veterinary Institute, Technical University of Denmark (DTU), Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Lene Jung Kjær
- Division for Diagnostics and Scientific Advice, National Veterinary Institute, Technical University of Denmark (DTU), Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Andreas Baum
- Department of Applied Mathematics and Computer Science, Technical University of Denmark (DTU), Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Anders Stockmarr
- Department of Applied Mathematics and Computer Science, Technical University of Denmark (DTU), Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Henrik Skovgard
- Department of Agroecology - Entomology and Plant Pathology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Søren Achim Nielsen
- Department of Science and Environment, Roskilde University, Roskilde, Denmark
| | | | | | - Jan Chirico
- National Veterinary Institute (SVA), Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Renke Lühken
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, WHO Collaborating Centre for Arbovirus and Hemorrhagic Fever Reference and Research National Reference Centre for Tropical Infectious Diseases, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Sonja Steinke
- Department of Biology and Environmental Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky University, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Ellen Kiel
- Department of Biology and Environmental Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky University, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Jörn Gethmann
- Institute of Epidemiology, Friedrich Loeffler Institute, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Franz J. Conraths
- Institute of Epidemiology, Friedrich Loeffler Institute, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Magdalena Larska
- Department of Virology, National Veterinary Research Institute, Pulawy, Poland
| | - Marcin Smreczak
- Department of Virology, National Veterinary Research Institute, Pulawy, Poland
| | - Anna Orłowska
- Department of Virology, National Veterinary Research Institute, Pulawy, Poland
| | | | | | - Petter Hopp
- Norwegian Veterinary Institute, Oslo, Norway
| | | | - Franz Rubel
- Institute for Veterinary Public Health, Vetmeduni, Vienna, Austria
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Jean-Claude Delécolle
- Institute of Parasitology and Tropical Pathology of Strasbourg, EA7292, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Bruno Mathieu
- Institute of Parasitology and Tropical Pathology of Strasbourg, EA7292, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Delphine Delécolle
- Institute of Parasitology and Tropical Pathology of Strasbourg, EA7292, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | | | - Roger Venail
- EID Méditerranée, Montpellier, France
- Avia-GIS NV, Zoersel, Belgium
| | | | | | - Carlos Barceló
- Laboratory of Zoology, University of the Balearic Islands, Palma, Spain
| | - Javier Lucientes
- Department of Animal Pathology, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Rosa Estrada
- Department of Animal Pathology, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Alexander Mathis
- Institute of Parasitology, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | | | - René Bødker
- Division for Diagnostics and Scientific Advice, National Veterinary Institute, Technical University of Denmark (DTU), Lyngby, Denmark
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Pudar D, Petrić D, Allène X, Alten B, Ayhan N, Cvetkovikj A, Garros C, Goletić T, Gunay F, Hlavackova K, Ćupina AI, Kavran M, Lestinova T, Mathieu B, Mikov O, Pajović I, Rakotoarivony I, Stefanovska J, Vaselek S, Zuko A, Balenghien T. An update of the Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) checklist for the Balkans. Parasit Vectors 2018; 11:462. [PMID: 30103828 PMCID: PMC6088421 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-018-3051-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2018] [Accepted: 08/03/2018] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The prime significance of species belonging to the genus Culicoides Latreille, 1809 (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) is their ability to transmit viruses such as bluetongue virus (BTV) to wild and domestic ruminants. Prior to 1998, BTV was considered exotic in Europe, but according to recent history of its outbreaks, it has become endemic in southern and eastern European countries circulating beyond its expected historical limits, into the Balkan region. The wind-borne long-distance dispersal of Culicoides spp. over water bodies and local spreading between farms emphasize the necessity of filling in the information gaps regarding vector species distribution. In most Balkan countries, data on Culicoides fauna and species distribution are lacking, or information is old and scarce. RESULTS During this study, 8586 specimens belonging to 41 species were collected. We present the first faunistic data on Culicoides species in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), Kosovo, Montenegro and Serbia. For other countries (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria and Croatia), all historical records were compiled for the first time and then expanded with our findings to various extents. In all countries, confirmed or suspected BTV vector species belonging to the subgenera Avaritia and Culicoides were collected. The total number of species sampled during our field collections was 20 in Bosnia and Herzegovina (15 new records), 10 in Bulgaria (2 new records), 10 in Croatia (5 new records), 13 in FYROM, 9 in Kosovo, 15 in Montenegro, and 28 in Serbia. Of these, 14 species were registered for the first time in this part of the Balkans. CONCLUSIONS This paper provides the first data about Culicoides fauna in FYROM, Kosovo, Montenegro and Serbia, as well as new records and an update on the checklists for Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria and Croatia. These findings provide preliminary insights into the routes of BTV introduction and spreading within the Balkans, and present a valuable contribution to further research related to Culicoides-borne diseases in Europe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dubravka Pudar
- Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Phytomedicine and Plant Protection, Laboratory for Medical and Veterinary Entomology, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia
| | - Dušan Petrić
- Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Phytomedicine and Plant Protection, Laboratory for Medical and Veterinary Entomology, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia
| | - Xavier Allène
- CIRAD, UMR ASTRE, F-34398 Montpellier, France
- ASTRE, University Montpellier, CIRAD, INRA, Montpellier, France
| | - Bulent Alten
- Faculty of Science, Department of Biology, Ecology Division, VERG Laboratories, Hacettepe University, Beytepe-Ankara, Turkey
| | - Nazlı Ayhan
- Virology Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Aix-Marseille University, Marseille cedex 05, France
| | - Aleksandar Cvetkovikj
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje, Skopje, Republic of Macedonia
| | - Claire Garros
- CIRAD, UMR ASTRE, F-34398 Montpellier, France
- ASTRE, University Montpellier, CIRAD, INRA, Montpellier, France
- CIRAD, UMR ASTRE, F-97490 Sainte Clotilde, Réunion
| | - Teufik Goletić
- Veterinary Faculty, Department of Zootechnics and Poultry, University of Sarajevo, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
| | - Filiz Gunay
- Faculty of Science, Department of Biology, Ecology Division, VERG Laboratories, Hacettepe University, Beytepe-Ankara, Turkey
| | - Kristyna Hlavackova
- Faculty of Science, Department of Parasitology, Charles University in Prague, 2 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Aleksandra Ignjatović Ćupina
- Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Phytomedicine and Plant Protection, Laboratory for Medical and Veterinary Entomology, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia
| | - Mihaela Kavran
- Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Phytomedicine and Plant Protection, Laboratory for Medical and Veterinary Entomology, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia
| | - Tereza Lestinova
- Faculty of Science, Department of Parasitology, Charles University in Prague, 2 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Bruno Mathieu
- Medicine Faculty, Institute of Parasitology and Tropical Pathology, University of Strasbourg, EA7292 Strasbourg, France
| | - Ognyan Mikov
- National Centre of Infectious and Parasitic Diseases, Department of Parasitology and Tropical Medicine, Laboratory of Experimental and Applied Parasitology, Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Igor Pajović
- Biotechnical Faculty, University of Montenegro, Podgorica, Montenegro
| | - Ignace Rakotoarivony
- CIRAD, UMR ASTRE, F-34398 Montpellier, France
- ASTRE, University Montpellier, CIRAD, INRA, Montpellier, France
| | - Jovana Stefanovska
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje, Skopje, Republic of Macedonia
| | - Slavica Vaselek
- Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Phytomedicine and Plant Protection, Laboratory for Medical and Veterinary Entomology, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia
| | - Almedina Zuko
- Veterinary Faculty, Department of Parasitology and Invasive Diseases, University of Sarajevo, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
| | - Thomas Balenghien
- CIRAD, UMR ASTRE, F-34398 Montpellier, France
- ASTRE, University Montpellier, CIRAD, INRA, Montpellier, France
- IAV Hassan II, MIMC unit, Rabat, Morocco
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Magliano A, Scaramozzino P, Ravagnan S, Montarsi F, DA Rold G, Cincinelli G, Moni A, Silvestri P, Carvelli A, DE Liberato C. Indoor and outdoor winter activity of Culicoides biting midges, vectors of bluetongue virus, in Italy. Med Vet Entomol 2018; 32:70-77. [PMID: 28833269 DOI: 10.1111/mve.12260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2017] [Revised: 06/19/2017] [Accepted: 07/03/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Indoor and outdoor winter activity of Culicoides spp. (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) in central Italy was investigated in order to evaluate whether indoor activity might account for the overwintering of bluetongue virus, as has been hypothesized by some authors. Weekly Culicoides collections were performed at three farms over three consecutive winter seasons. At each farm, two black-light traps were operated simultaneously, indoors and outdoors. Culicoides were identified using both morphological and molecular means. The Culicoides obsoletus group accounted for 98.2% of sampled specimens. Within this group, C. obsoletus s.s. accounted for 56.8% and Culicoides scoticus for 43.2% of samples. Nulliparous, parous and engorged females were caught throughout the entire winter, both indoors and outdoors. At times, indoor catch sizes outnumbered outdoor collections. A significant inverse correlation was found between minimum temperature and the proportion of indoor Culicoides of the total midge catch, thus indicating that lower outdoor temperatures drive Culicoides midges indoors. High rates of engorged females were recorded indoors, possibly as the result of the propensity of C. obsoletus females to feed indoors. Higher proportions of parous females were found in indoor than in outdoor catches, indicating higher survival rates indoors and, consequently, higher vectorial capacities of midges sheltering indoors compared with those remaining outdoors.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Magliano
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Lazio e della Toscana 'M. Aleandri', Rome, Italy
| | - P Scaramozzino
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Lazio e della Toscana 'M. Aleandri', Rome, Italy
| | - S Ravagnan
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Rome, Italy
| | - F Montarsi
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Rome, Italy
| | - G DA Rold
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Rome, Italy
| | - G Cincinelli
- Azienda Unita' Sanitaria Locale (USL) Toscana Sud Est, Arezzo, Italy
| | - A Moni
- Azienda USL Toscana Nord Ovest, Massa Carrara, Italy
| | - P Silvestri
- Azienda Sanitaria Locale (ASL) Rieti, Rieti, Italy
| | - A Carvelli
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Lazio e della Toscana 'M. Aleandri', Rome, Italy
| | - C DE Liberato
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Lazio e della Toscana 'M. Aleandri', Rome, Italy
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Cuéllar AC, Kjær LJ, Kirkeby C, Skovgard H, Nielsen SA, Stockmarr A, Andersson G, Lindstrom A, Chirico J, Lühken R, Steinke S, Kiel E, Gethmann J, Conraths FJ, Larska M, Hamnes I, Sviland S, Hopp P, Brugger K, Rubel F, Balenghien T, Garros C, Rakotoarivony I, Allène X, Lhoir J, Chavernac D, Delécolle JC, Mathieu B, Delécolle D, Setier-Rio ML, Venail R, Scheid B, Chueca MÁM, Barceló C, Lucientes J, Estrada R, Mathis A, Tack W, Bødker R. Spatial and temporal variation in the abundance of Culicoides biting midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) in nine European countries. Parasit Vectors 2018; 11:112. [PMID: 29482593 PMCID: PMC5828119 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-018-2706-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2017] [Accepted: 02/12/2018] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Biting midges of the genus Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) are vectors of bluetongue virus (BTV), African horse sickness virus and Schmallenberg virus (SBV). Outbreaks of both BTV and SBV have affected large parts of Europe. The spread of these diseases depends largely on vector distribution and abundance. The aim of this analysis was to identify and quantify major spatial patterns and temporal trends in the distribution and seasonal variation of observed Culicoides abundance in nine countries in Europe. METHODS We gathered existing Culicoides data from Spain, France, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Poland. In total, 31,429 Culicoides trap collections were available from 904 ruminant farms across these countries between 2007 and 2013. RESULTS The Obsoletus ensemble was distributed widely in Europe and accounted for 83% of all 8,842,998 Culicoides specimens in the dataset, with the highest mean monthly abundance recorded in France, Germany and southern Norway. The Pulicaris ensemble accounted for only 12% of the specimens and had a relatively southerly and easterly spatial distribution compared to the Obsoletus ensemble. Culicoides imicola Kieffer was only found in Spain and the southernmost part of France. There was a clear spatial trend in the accumulated annual abundance from southern to northern Europe, with the Obsoletus ensemble steadily increasing from 4000 per year in southern Europe to 500,000 in Scandinavia. The Pulicaris ensemble showed a very different pattern, with an increase in the accumulated annual abundance from 1600 in Spain, peaking at 41,000 in northern Germany and then decreasing again toward northern latitudes. For the two species ensembles and C. imicola, the season began between January and April, with later start dates and increasingly shorter vector seasons at more northerly latitudes. CONCLUSION We present the first maps of seasonal Culicoides abundance in large parts of Europe covering a gradient from southern Spain to northern Scandinavia. The identified temporal trends and spatial patterns are useful for planning the allocation of resources for international prevention and surveillance programmes in the European Union.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Carolina Cuéllar
- Division for Diagnostics and Scientific Advice, National Veterinary Institute, Technical University of Denmark (DTU), Copenhagen, Denmark.
| | - Lene Jung Kjær
- Division for Diagnostics and Scientific Advice, National Veterinary Institute, Technical University of Denmark (DTU), Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Carsten Kirkeby
- Division for Diagnostics and Scientific Advice, National Veterinary Institute, Technical University of Denmark (DTU), Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Henrik Skovgard
- Department of Agroecology - Entomology and Plant Pathology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Søren Achim Nielsen
- Department of Science and Environment, Roskilde University, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Anders Stockmarr
- Department of Applied Mathematics and Computer Science, Technical University of Denmark (DTU), Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | | | - Jan Chirico
- National Veterinary Institute (SVA), Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Renke Lühken
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, WHO Collaborating Centre for Arbovirus and Hemorrhagic Fever Reference and Research National Reference Centre for Tropical Infectious Diseases, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Sonja Steinke
- Department of Biology and Environmental Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky University, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Ellen Kiel
- Department of Biology and Environmental Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky University, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Jörn Gethmann
- Institute of Epidemiology, Friedrich Loeffler Institute, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Franz J Conraths
- Institute of Epidemiology, Friedrich Loeffler Institute, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Magdalena Larska
- Department of Virology, National Veterinary Research Institute, Pulawy, Poland
| | | | | | - Petter Hopp
- Norwegian Veterinary Institute, Oslo, Norway
| | | | - Franz Rubel
- Institute for Veterinary Public Health, Vetmeduni, Vienna, Austria
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Jean-Claude Delécolle
- Institute of Parasitology and Tropical Pathology of Strasbourg, EA7292, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Bruno Mathieu
- Institute of Parasitology and Tropical Pathology of Strasbourg, EA7292, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Delphine Delécolle
- Institute of Parasitology and Tropical Pathology of Strasbourg, EA7292, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | | | - Roger Venail
- EID Méditerranée, Montpellier, France
- Avia-GIS NV, Zoersel, Belgium
| | | | | | - Carlos Barceló
- Laboratory of Zoology, University of the Balearic Islands, Palma de Mallorca, Spain
| | - Javier Lucientes
- Department of Animal Pathology, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Rosa Estrada
- Department of Animal Pathology, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Alexander Mathis
- Institute of Parasitology, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | | | - Rene Bødker
- Division for Diagnostics and Scientific Advice, National Veterinary Institute, Technical University of Denmark (DTU), Copenhagen, Denmark
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20
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Larska M, Grochowska M, Lechowski L, Żmudziński JF. Abundance and species composition of Culicoides spp. biting midges near cattle and horse in South-Eastern Poland. Acta Parasitol 2017; 62:739-747. [PMID: 29035852 DOI: 10.1515/ap-2017-0089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2017] [Accepted: 07/20/2017] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
The aim of the study was to estimate and compare the distribution of Culicoides biting midges species at farms with different main hosts - cattle and horse. Culicoides spp. are known vectors of arboviruses including African horse sickness virus (AHSV), bluetongue virus (BTV) and Schmallenberg virus (SBV). The latter two have been already reported in Polish ruminants recently, while AHSV remains absent, however the risk of its emergence has been increasing in the recent years. In order to establish the activity of potential AHSV vector at vicinity of horses, an OVI midge trap has been placed at the horse stables in the southeastern Poland. Another trap has been placed 7 km away at the cattle farm. The collections were carried over the midge activity season from April until November 2016. The midge abundances at both sites were comparable with the total numbers of insects trapped of 43,153 and 34,829 at the cattle and horse farm, respectively. Midges belonging to C. obsoletus/scoticus complex were the dominant ones at both locations. The other most abundant species were C. punctatus and C. pulicaris, while the other ten species identified (C. chiopterus, C. deltus, C. dewulfi, C. fagineus, C. impunctatus, C. newsteadi, C. nubeculosus, C. parroti, C. riethi, C. stigma) accounted for less than 0.5%. The study has shown that the Orbivirus vectors are present at a high abundance at the Polish horse farm, what may be a helpful tool in the AHS risk assessment in the nonendemic part of Europe.
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21
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Talavera S, Muñoz-Muñoz F, Verdún M, Pagès N. Morphology and DNA barcoding reveal three species in one: description of Culicoides cryptipulicaris sp. nov. and Culicoides quasipulicaris sp. nov. in the subgenus Culicoides. Med Vet Entomol 2017; 31:178-191. [PMID: 28370147 DOI: 10.1111/mve.12228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2016] [Revised: 10/27/2016] [Accepted: 11/10/2016] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Species of the genus Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) are well known for their importance in the field of medical and veterinary entomology. Culicoides spp. transmit a wide variety of pathogens, primarily viruses that affect animals and humans. In Europe, the most economically important disease transmitted by Culicoides is bluetongue (BT). Culicoides spp. have been recently involved as primary vectors for Schmallenberg disease. The taxonomy within the subgenus Culicoides has been historically difficult and reorganizations have been proposed regularly. The subgenus Culicoides includes species that are considered to be potential vectors for BT. High morphological intraspecific variability has been attributed to these species. This highlights the apparent presence of previously undetected cryptic species diversity in the subgenus. In the present study, a detailed morphological and molecular study of specimens belonging to Culicoides pulicaris s.l. and specimens resembling a cross between C. pulicaris and Culicoides punctatus revealed the presence of two new species: Culicoides cryptipulicaris and Culicoides quasipulicaris. Females of C. quasipulicaris and males of both species were morphologically distinguished from C. pulicaris (Linnaeus, 1758), whereas females of C. cryptipulicaris were identified using molecular techniques exclusively.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Talavera
- Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia (IRTA), Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - F Muñoz-Muñoz
- Departament de Biologia Animal, de Biologia Vegetal i d'Ecologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - M Verdún
- Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia (IRTA), Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - N Pagès
- Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia (IRTA), Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
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22
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Sarvašová A, Kočišová A, Liptáková E, Hiavatá H, Mathieu B. First insights into indoor and outdoor Culicoides activity related to the risk period for Bluetongue virus transmission in Eastern Slovakia. Acta Parasitol 2016; 61:743-755. [PMID: 27787226 DOI: 10.1515/ap-2016-0103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2016] [Accepted: 06/21/2016] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
The epizootic of Bluetongue virus (BTV) throughout Europe in 2006 revealed insufficient knowledge regarding seasonal activities, endo/exophilic and endo/exophagic behaviour of the species of the Culicoides genus (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae). Although several studies have been carried out in Western Europe, bringing new knowledge of the above mentioned topics, there was still a gap to fill in Central Europe. Therefore, this study investigated seasonal variations in the indoor/outdoor Culicoides activity observed in the south-eastern Slovakia from 2012 to 2014, using a light-trapping method. In total, 52,741 Culicoides were collected and identified; majority of them were caught outdoors (82.6%), with the highest activity period being mid-June. The C. obsoletus/C. scoticus and C.punctatus species predominated, altogether representing 88.8 and 94.1% of the total indoor and outdoor collections, respectively. Positive correlation was observed between the temperature and the abundance, whereas no correlation with other studied factors was detected. In autumn, Culicoides activity was observed outdoors at temperatures ranging between-1.5°C and 9.3°C, whereas the indoor activity was detected at temperatures ranging between-3.9°C and 0°C. This demonstrated that the most significant BTV vectors in the studied area are C. obsoletus/C. scoticus. The C. dewulfi and C. chiopterus vectors appeared to be of lower significance. The period with the highest risk of the BTV transmission in Eastern Slovakia appeared to be mid-June. The autumnal Culicoides activity inside the cowsheds may be important for the assessment of virus overwintering. This study is the first to provide the data on indoor/outdoor behaviour of biting midges in Slovakia.
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Mukhopadhyay E, Mazumdar A, Joardar SN, Saha GK, Banerjee D. An annotated checklist of Culicoides Latreille, 1809 (Insecta: Ceratopogonidae: Diptera) with incorporation of a vector species list from India. J Vector Ecol 2016; 41:279-284. [PMID: 27860019 DOI: 10.1111/jvec.12223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2016] [Accepted: 08/04/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Culicoides Latreille, 1809 (Insecta : Diptera : Ceratopogonidae) are small nematocerous biological vectors of a wide range of pathogens of veterinary and medical importance. They are distributed worldwide but prefer warm, damp, and muddy areas. Female midges require blood for egg maturation. Studies on taxonomy, proper identification keys, and distribution patterns of these flies across different geographical regions of India of these flies are limited. This article provides an updated checklist of Culicoides spp. from India collected from various scattered publications, along with their synonyms and details on their subgenera, geographical distribution, and type locality. A compiled list of different Culicoides vectors from India has also been included separately in this article, along with the type of the diseases spread.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emon Mukhopadhyay
- Diptera Section, Zoological Survey of India, Ministry of Environment, forest and climate change, M- Block, New Alipore, Kolkata 700053, India
| | - Abhijit Mazumdar
- Entomology Research Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Burdwan, West Bengal, India
| | - S N Joardar
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology, West Bengal University of Animal and Fishery Sciences, Belgachia, Kolkata, India
| | - Goutam K Saha
- Department of Zoology, University of Calcutta, Kolkata, India
| | - Dhriti Banerjee
- Diptera Section, Zoological Survey of India, Ministry of Environment, forest and climate change, M- Block, New Alipore, Kolkata 700053, India
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Tay WT, Kerr PJ, Jermiin LS. Population Genetic Structure and Potential Incursion Pathways of the Bluetongue Virus Vector Culicoides brevitarsis (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) in Australia. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0146699. [PMID: 26771743 PMCID: PMC4714883 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0146699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2015] [Accepted: 12/20/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Culicoides brevitarsis is a vector of the bluetongue virus (BTV), which infects sheep and cattle. It is an invasive species in Australia with an assumed Asian/South East Asian origin. Using one mitochondrial marker (i.e., part of the cytochrome oxidase subunit I gene) and six nuclear markers, we inferred population genetic structure and possible incursion pathways for Australian C. brevitarsis. Nine mitochondrial haplotypes, with low nucleotide sequence diversity (0.0–0.7%) among these, were identified in a sample of 70 individuals from seven sites. Both sets of markers revealed a homogeneous population structure, albeit with evidence of isolation by distance and two genetically distinct clusters distributed along a north-to-south cline. No evidence of a cryptic species complex was found. The geographical distribution of the mitochondrial haplotypes is consistent with at least two incursion pathways into Australia since the arrival of suitable livestock hosts. By contrast, 15 mitochondrial haplotypes, with up to four times greater nucleotide sequence diversity (0.0–2.9%) among these, were identified in a sample of 16 individuals of the endemic C. marksi (sampled from a site in South Australia and another in New South Wales). A phylogenetic tree inferred using the mitochondrial marker revealed that the Australian and Japanese samples of C. brevitarsis are as evolutionarily different from one another as some of the other Australian species (e.g., C. marksi, C. henryi, C. pallidothorax) are. The phylogenetic tree placed four of the species endemic to Australia (C. pallidothorax, C. bundyensis, C. marksi, C. henryi) in a clade, with a fifth such species (C. bunrooensis) sharing a common ancestor with that clade and a clade comprising two Japanese species (C. verbosus, C. kibunensis).
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Affiliation(s)
- W. T. Tay
- CSIRO, Black Mountain Laboratories, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
- * E-mail:
| | - P. J. Kerr
- CSIRO, Black Mountain Laboratories, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, 2006, Australia
| | - L. S. Jermiin
- CSIRO, Black Mountain Laboratories, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
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Talavera S, Muñoz-Muñoz F, Durán M, Verdún M, Soler-Membrives A, Oleaga Á, Arenas A, Ruiz-Fons F, Estrada R, Pagès N. Culicoides Species Communities Associated with Wild Ruminant Ecosystems in Spain: Tracking the Way to Determine Potential Bridge Vectors for Arboviruses. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0141667. [PMID: 26510136 PMCID: PMC4624870 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0141667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2014] [Accepted: 10/11/2015] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The genus Culicoides Latreille 1809 is a well-known vector for protozoa, filarial worms and, above all, numerous viruses. The Bluetongue virus (BTV) and the recently emerged Schmallenberg virus (SBV) are responsible for important infectious, non-contagious, insect-borne viral diseases found in domestic ruminants and transmitted by Culicoides spp. Both of these diseases have been detected in wild ruminants, but their role as reservoirs during the vector-free season still remains relatively unknown. In fact, we tend to ignore the possibility of wild ruminants acting as a source of disease (BTV, SBV) and permitting its reintroduction to domestic ruminants during the following vector season. In this context, a knowledge of the composition of the Culicoides species communities that inhabit areas where there are wild ruminants is of major importance as the presence of a vector species is a prerequisite for disease transmission. In this study, samplings were conducted in areas inhabited by different wild ruminant species; samples were taken in both 2009 and 2010, on a monthly basis, during the peak season for midge activity (in summer and autumn). A total of 102,693 specimens of 40 different species of the genus Culicoides were trapped; these included major BTV and SBV vector species. The most abundant vector species were C. imicola and species of the Obsoletus group, which represented 15% and 11% of total numbers of specimens, respectively. At the local scale, the presence of major BTV and SBV vector species in areas with wild ruminants coincided with that of the nearest sentinel farms included in the Spanish Bluetongue Entomological Surveillance Programme, although their relative abundance varied. The data suggest that such species do not exhibit strong host specificity towards either domestic or wild ruminants and that they could consequently play a prominent role as bridge vectors for different pathogens between both types of ruminants. This finding would support the hypothesis that wild ruminants could act as reservoirs for such pathogens, and subsequently be involved in the reintroduction of disease to livestock on neighbouring farms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Talavera
- IRTA, Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA, IRTA- UAB), Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Catalonia, Spain
- * E-mail:
| | - Francesc Muñoz-Muñoz
- Departament de Biologia Animal, de Biologia Vegetal i d’Ecologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Mauricio Durán
- Health and Biotechnology (SaBio) group, Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC), Ciudad Real, Castilla la Mancha, Spain
| | - Marta Verdún
- IRTA, Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA, IRTA- UAB), Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Anna Soler-Membrives
- Departament de Biologia Animal, de Biologia Vegetal i d’Ecologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Álvaro Oleaga
- Health and Biotechnology (SaBio) group, Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC), Ciudad Real, Castilla la Mancha, Spain
- SERPA, Sociedad de Servicios del Principado de Asturias S.A., Gijón, Asturias, Spain
| | - Antonio Arenas
- Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Córdoba (UCO), Córdoba, Andalucía, Spain
| | - Francisco Ruiz-Fons
- Health and Biotechnology (SaBio) group, Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC), Ciudad Real, Castilla la Mancha, Spain
| | - Rosa Estrada
- Department of Animal Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Nitu Pagès
- IRTA, Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA, IRTA- UAB), Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Catalonia, Spain
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26
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Phillips RA. A New Species of Culicoides (Selfia) (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) from Southeastern Utah. J Med Entomol 2015; 52:842-849. [PMID: 26336237 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjv097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2015] [Accepted: 06/22/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
A new species of biting midge, Culicoides (Selfia) moabensis, is described and illustrated from southeastern Utah. Its relationship to Culicoides (Selfia) multipunctatus Malloch and Culicoides (Selfia) brookmani Wirth is discussed, and modifications to existing keys to adult males and females of C. (Selfia) species are provided. Its abundance, seasonal distribution, and aspects of its reproductive and feeding biology and potential as an arbovirus vector are discussed.
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Venail R, Lhoir J, Fall M, del Río R, Talavera S, Labuschagne K, Miranda M, Pagès N, Venter G, Rakotoarivony I, Allène X, Scheid B, Gardès L, Gimonneau G, Lancelot R, Garros C, Cêtre-Sossah C, Balenghien T, Carpenter S, Baldet T. How do species, population and active ingredient influence insecticide susceptibility in Culicoides biting midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) of veterinary importance? Parasit Vectors 2015; 8:439. [PMID: 26310789 PMCID: PMC4551713 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-015-1042-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2015] [Accepted: 08/12/2015] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Culicoides biting midges are biological vectors of internationally important arboviruses of livestock and equines. Insecticides are often employed against Culicoides as a part of vector control measures, but systematic assessments of their efficacy have rarely been attempted. The objective of the present study is to determine baseline susceptibility of multiple Culicoides vector species and populations in Europe and Africa to the most commonly used insecticide active ingredients. Six active ingredients are tested: three that are based on synthetic pyrethroids (alpha-cypermethrin, deltamethrin and permethrin) and three on organophosphates (phoxim, diazinon and chlorpyrifos-methyl). METHODS Susceptibility tests were conducted on 29,064 field-collected individuals of Culicoides obsoletus Meigen, Culicoides imicola Kieffer and a laboratory-reared Culicoides nubeculosus Meigen strain using a modified World Health Organization assay. Populations of Culicoides were tested from seven locations in four different countries (France, Spain, Senegal and South Africa) and at least four concentrations of laboratory grade active ingredients were assessed for each population. RESULTS The study revealed that insecticide susceptibility varied at both a species and population level, but that broad conclusions could be drawn regarding the efficacy of active ingredients. Synthetic pyrethroid insecticides were found to inflict greater mortality than organophosphate active ingredients and the colony strain of C. nubeculosus was significantly more susceptible than field populations. Among the synthetic pyrethroids, deltamethrin was found to be the most toxic active ingredient for all species and populations. CONCLUSIONS The data presented represent the first parallel and systematic assessment of Culicoides insecticide susceptibility across several countries. As such, they are an important baseline reference to monitor the susceptibility status of Culicoides to current insecticides and also to assess the toxicity of new active ingredients with practical implications for vector control strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jonathan Lhoir
- Cirad, UMR15 CMAEE; INRA, UMR1309 CMAEE, 34398, Montpellier, France.
| | - Moussa Fall
- Institut sénégalais de recherches agricoles (ISRA), BP 1386, Dakar, Senegal.
| | - Ricardo del Río
- Laboratory of Zoology, University of the Balearic Islands (UIB), Km 7.5, Palma de Mallorca, Spain.
| | - Sandra Talavera
- Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA), UAB-IRTA, Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Karien Labuschagne
- Agricultural Research Council - ARC- Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute, Private Bag X5, Onderstepoort, 0110, Republic of South Africa.
| | - Miguel Miranda
- Laboratory of Zoology, University of the Balearic Islands (UIB), Km 7.5, Palma de Mallorca, Spain.
| | - Nonito Pagès
- Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA), UAB-IRTA, Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Gert Venter
- Agricultural Research Council - ARC- Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute, Private Bag X5, Onderstepoort, 0110, Republic of South Africa.
| | | | - Xavier Allène
- Cirad, UMR15 CMAEE; INRA, UMR1309 CMAEE, 34398, Montpellier, France.
| | | | - Laëtitia Gardès
- Cirad, UMR15 CMAEE; INRA, UMR1309 CMAEE, 34398, Montpellier, France.
| | - Geoffrey Gimonneau
- Cirad, UMR15 CMAEE; INRA, UMR1309 CMAEE, 34398, Montpellier, France.
- Institut sénégalais de recherches agricoles (ISRA), BP 1386, Dakar, Senegal.
| | - Renaud Lancelot
- Cirad, UMR15 CMAEE; INRA, UMR1309 CMAEE, 34398, Montpellier, France.
| | - Claire Garros
- Cirad, UMR15 CMAEE; INRA, UMR1309 CMAEE, 34398, Montpellier, France.
| | | | - Thomas Balenghien
- Cirad, UMR15 CMAEE; INRA, UMR1309 CMAEE, 34398, Montpellier, France.
| | - Simon Carpenter
- The Pirbright Institute, Vector-borne Viral Disease Programme, Woking, GU24 0NF, UK.
| | - Thierry Baldet
- Cirad, UMR15 CMAEE; INRA, UMR1309 CMAEE, 34398, Montpellier, France.
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Gordon SJG, Bolwell C, Rogers C, Musuka G, Kelly P, Labuschagne K, Guthrie AJ, Denison E, Mellor PS, Hamblin C. The occurrence of Culicoides species, the vectors of arboviruses, at selected trap sites in Zimbabwe. Onderstepoort J Vet Res 2015; 82:e1-e8. [PMID: 26244678 PMCID: PMC6238715 DOI: 10.4102/ojvr.v82i1.900] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2014] [Revised: 01/26/2015] [Accepted: 01/27/2015] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
A study of the distribution of Culicoides species was conducted by establishing 12 light trap sites over five rainy seasons between 1998 and 2003 covering all the geo-climatic natural regions of Zimbabwe. In total, 279 919 specimens of Culicoides were trapped over a total of 163 trapping nights. The highest median counts of Culicoides per trapping night were recorded in natural region III, which has climatic conditions conducive to the successful development of the larvae. Culicoides imicola, the major vector of bluetongue and African horse sickness viruses in Africa, was found to be the most abundant species (80.4%), followed by Culicoides enderleini (5.9%) and Culicoides milnei (5.2%). This study identified 10 species of Culicoides that had not been previously described in Zimbabwe, including Culicoides loxodontis and Culicoides miombo, which are members of the C. imicola complex. A total of 23 994 Culicoides midges were collected from five trap sites in Harare, Zimbabwe, with the dominant species, C. imicola, representing 91.6% of the total collection. Seventeen arboviruses were isolated from these midges, 15 of which were bluetongue virus. The predominant bluetongue virus serotype was serotype 11, followed by serotypes 1, 8, 12 and 15. Bluetongue virus serotypes 1, 2, 8, 10, 12, 15, 16 and 18, detected in this study, had not been previously reported in Zimbabwe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stuart J G Gordon
- Institute of Veterinary, Animal and BiomedicalSciences, Massey University.
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Meulenbroeks C, van der Lugt JJ, van der Meide NMA, Willemse T, Rutten VPMG, Zaiss DMW. Allergen-Specific Cytokine Polarization Protects Shetland Ponies against Culicoides obsoletus-Induced Insect Bite Hypersensitivity. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0122090. [PMID: 25901733 PMCID: PMC4406554 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0122090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2014] [Accepted: 02/17/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The immunological mechanisms explaining development of an allergy in some individuals and not in others remain incompletely understood. Insect bite hypersensitivity (IBH) is a common, seasonal, IgE-mediated, pruritic skin disorder that affects considerable proportions of horses of different breeds, which is caused by bites of the insect Culicoides obsoletus (C. obsoletus). We investigated the allergen-specific immune status of individual horses that had either been diagnosed to be healthy or to suffer of IBH. Following intradermal allergen injection, skin biopsies were taken of IBH-affected and healthy ponies and cytokine expression was determined by RT-PCR. In addition, allergen-specific antibody titers were measured and cytokine expression of in vitro stimulated, allergen-specific CD4 T-cells was determined. 24 hrs after allergen injection, a significant increase in mRNA expression of the type-2 cytokine IL-4 was observed in the skin of IBH-affected Shetland ponies. In the skin of healthy ponies, however, an increase in IFNγ mRNA expression was found. Analysis of allergen-specific antibody titers revealed that all animals produced allergen-specific antibodies, and allergen-specific stimulation of CD4 T-cells revealed a significant higher percentage of IFNγ-expressing CD4 T-cells in healthy ponies compared to IBH-affected ponies. These data indicate that horses not affected by IBH, in contrast to the so far established dogma, are not immunologically ignorant but have a Th1-skewed allergen-specific immune response that appears to protect against IBH-associated symptoms. To our knowledge this is the first demonstration of a natural situation, in which an allergen-specific immune skewing is protective in an allergic disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chantal Meulenbroeks
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | | | | | - Ton Willemse
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Department of Clinical Sciences of Companion Animals, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Victor P. M. G. Rutten
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, Onderstepoort, South Africa
| | - Dietmar M. W. Zaiss
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Institute of Immunology and Infection Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH9 3JT, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
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Harrup LE, Bellis GA, Balenghien T, Garros C. Culicoides Latreille (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) taxonomy: current challenges and future directions. Infect Genet Evol 2015; 30:249-266. [PMID: 25535946 PMCID: PMC4330985 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2014.12.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2014] [Revised: 12/12/2014] [Accepted: 12/13/2014] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Culicoides Latreille biting midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) cause a significant biting nuisance to humans, livestock and equines, and are the biological vectors of a range of internationally important pathogens of both veterinary and medical importance. Despite their economic significance, the delimitation and identification of species and evolutionary relationships between species within this genus remains at best problematic. To date no phylogenetic study has attempted to validate the subgeneric classification of the genus and the monophyly of many of the subgenera remains doubtful. Many informal species groupings are also known to exist but few are adequately described, further complicating accurate identification. Recent contributions to Culicoides taxonomy at the species level have revealed a high correlation between morphological and molecular analyses although molecular analyses are revealing the existence of cryptic species. This review considers the methods for studying the systematics of Culicoides using both morphological and genetic techniques, with a view to understanding the factors limiting our current understanding of Culicoides biology and hence arbovirus epidemiology. In addition, we examine the global status of Culicoides identification, highlighting areas that are poorly addressed, including the potential implementation of emerging technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- L E Harrup
- Vector-borne Viral Diseases Programme, The Pirbright Institute, Ash Road, Pirbright, Surrey GU24 0NF, UK.
| | - G A Bellis
- University of Queensland, St Lucia, Brisbane, Qld, Australia
| | - T Balenghien
- Cirad, UMR15 CMAEE, 34398 Montpellier, France; INRA, UMR1309 CMAEE, 34398 Montpellier, France
| | - C Garros
- Cirad, UMR15 CMAEE, 34398 Montpellier, France; INRA, UMR1309 CMAEE, 34398 Montpellier, France
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31
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Meiswinkel R, De Bree F, Bossers-De Vries R, Elbers ARW. An unrecognized species of the Culicoides obsoletus complex feeding on livestock in The Netherlands. Vet Parasitol 2014; 207:324-8. [PMID: 25583356 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2014.12.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2014] [Revised: 12/17/2014] [Accepted: 12/22/2014] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
In studies on Culicoides attacking livestock in the Netherlands, we chanced upon a species of the Obsoletus complex that we do not recognize, but whose dark wing pattern is distinctive. Nine cytochrome c oxidase (CO1) sequences of our so-called 'dark obsoletus' support its status as a separate species, the sequences differing significantly from those representing Culicoides obsoletus (Meigen) (90-91% homology) and Culicoides scoticus Downes & Kettle (87-88% homology). In the last decade, several research groups in Europe have encountered 'mystery species' related to C. obsoletus and in some instances have made their sequences for various genetic loci available in GenBank. These include a CO1 series submitted from Sweden in 2012 (annotated as 'obsoletus 01, 02, or 03 MA-2012') and of which some share a 99% identity with our sequences for 'dark obsoletus'. Without doubt, the series from the Netherlands, along with a portion of the Swedish submissions, together represent a single species ('dark obsoletus'). Whether this species is referable to the Russian Culicoides gornostaevae Mirzaeva recorded recently from Norway, Sweden and Poland, and based solely upon the external morphology of the male, is not clear. The presence in Western Europe of multiple undescribed species related to C. obsoletus means that the taxonomy of this important vector complex is not fully resolved; consequently, we know little about these cryptic species with regard to seasonality, geographic range and host preference. This is undesirable given that Culicoides-borne arboviruses causing disease in livestock are moving more regularly out of the tropics and spreading north into temperate latitudes.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Meiswinkel
- Santa Maria del Monte, Via Pratarone 14, Rocca di Cave, 00030 Roma, Italy
| | - F De Bree
- Applied Bioinformatics, Central Veterinary Institute, part of Wageningen UR, P.O. Box 65, 8200 AB, Lelystad, the Netherlands
| | - R Bossers-De Vries
- Infection Biology, Central Veterinary Institute, part of Wageningen UR, P.O. Box 65, 8200 AB, Lelystad, the Netherlands
| | - A R W Elbers
- Dept Epidemiology, Crisis Organization and Diagnostics, Central Veterinary Institute, part of Wageningen UR, P.O. Box 65, 8200 AB, Lelystad, the Netherlands.
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32
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Muñoz-Muñoz F, Talavera S, Carpenter S, Nielsen SA, Werner D, Pagès N. Phenotypic differentiation and phylogenetic signal of wing shape in western European biting midges, Culicoides spp., of the subgenus Avaritia. Med Vet Entomol 2014; 28:319-329. [PMID: 24387691 DOI: 10.1111/mve.12042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2013] [Revised: 07/23/2013] [Accepted: 09/16/2013] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
In the past decade biting midges of the subgenus Avaritia (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) have been popular subjects of applied entomological studies in Europe owing to their implication as biological vectors in outbreaks of bluetongue and Schmallenberg viruses. This study uses a combination of cytochrome oxidase subunit I barcode sequencing and geometric morphometric analyses to investigate wing shape as a means to infer species identification within this subgenus. In addition the congruence of morphological data with different phylogenetic hypotheses is tested. Five different species of the subgenus Avaritia were considered in the study (C. obsoletus (Meigen); C. scoticus Kettle and Lawson; C. chiopterus (Meigen); C. dewulfi Goetghebuer and C. imicola (Kieffer)). The study demonstrated that over 90% of individuals could be separated correctly into species by their wing shape and that patterns of morphological differentiation derived from the geometric morphometric analyses were congruent with phylogenies generated from sequencing data. Morphological data produced are congruent with monophyly of the subgenus Avaritia and the exclusion of C. dewulfi from the group containing C. obsoletus, C. scoticus and C. chiopterus. The implications of these results and their importance in a wider context of integrating multiple data types to interpret both phylogeny and species characterization is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Muñoz-Muñoz
- Departament de Biologia Animal, de Biologia Vegetal i d'Ecologia, Facultat de Biociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Vallès), Barcelona, Spain
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33
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Elbers ARW, Meiswinkel R. Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) host preferences and biting rates in the Netherlands: comparing cattle, sheep and the black-light suction trap. Vet Parasitol 2014; 205:330-7. [PMID: 24957001 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2014.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2014] [Revised: 06/02/2014] [Accepted: 06/03/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Host preference is an important determinant of feeding behaviour in biting insects and a critical component in the transmission of vector-borne diseases. The aim of the study was to quantify Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) host preferences and biting rates using tethered livestock at pasture (a dairy cow and a sheep) and to compare the numbers of biting midges aspirated off them to those captured simultaneously in a black-light suction trap acting as a surrogate host. Culicoides collections were made hourly over seven hours (from five hours before official sunset to two hours after) between 27 May and 19 June, 2013 at a dairy farm (eastern Netherlands). The study involved 13 replicates of a site × host randomised design. Culicoides collected by black-light suction trap and by direct aspiration were identified to species morphologically and age-graded. The C. obsoletus complex, C. dewulfi and C. pulicaris predominated on the back and flanks of the animals, C. punctatus on the belly, and C. chiopterus on the legs. Using comparable collection periods, 9.3 times (95% confidence interval: 8.6-10.0) more Culicoides were caught on the cow than on the sheep and 25.4 times (95% confidence interval: 18.4-35.1) less in the black-light suction trap compared to the sheep. Mean Culicoides biting rates on the cow across the 7-h collection period were 4.6, 3.5, 1.0, 1.0 and 0.5 min(-1) for C. dewulfi, the C. obsoletus complex, C. chiopterus, C. punctatus and C. pulicaris, respectively; for the sheep they were 0.6, 0.4 and 0.1 min(-1) for the C. obsoletus complex, C. dewulfi and C. punctatus, respectively. Though midges were aspirated off livestock during each of the seven hours, they only began to appear in the black-light suction trap 5h later, from sunset onwards. After sunset, its efficacy improved markedly, but occurred when midge activity overall had begun to decline. Though it was quite accurate in ranking Culicoides species abundance, the black-light suction trap proved to be of limited value for determining hours of peak biting activity, levels of abundance, and host preference, in Culicoides.
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Affiliation(s)
- A R W Elbers
- Department of Epidemiology, Crisis Organisation and Diagnostics, Central Veterinary Institute (CVI), Part of Wageningen UR, P.O. Box 65, NL-8200AB Lelystad, The Netherlands.
| | - R Meiswinkel
- Santa Maria del Monte, Via Pratarone 14, Rocca di Cave, Roma 00030, Italy.
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Carvalho LPC, Silva FS. Seasonal abundance of livestock-associated Culicoides species in northeastern Brazil. Med Vet Entomol 2014; 28:228-231. [PMID: 24382216 DOI: 10.1111/mve.12043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2013] [Revised: 05/14/2013] [Accepted: 05/22/2013] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Culicoides biting midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) are of great medical and veterinary importance because the haematophagous females of some species can transmit diseases to humans and animals. In order to determine the presence and seasonal abundance of the bluetongue virus (BTV) vector Culicoides insignis Lutz at domestic animal sheds in northeastern Brazil, insects were collected once a month between January and December 2010. Light traps were set from 18.00 to 06.00 hours at a pigsty, chicken coop and bovine corral. Culicoides insignis accounted for 81% of the 22,316 specimens collected. Other well-represented species were: Culicoides paucienfuscatus Barbosa (3246 individuals), Culicoides diabolicus Hoffman (308), Culicoides leopoldoi Ortiz (224) and Culicoides duartei Tavares and Luna Dias (221). The remainder accounted for 4% of the total sample. Culicoides insignis occurred mostly at the cattle corral, 98.2% in the rainy season. This study confirms the presence and close association of C. insignis with cattle in Maranhão state, northeastern Brazil and emphasizes the risk of bluetongue infections spreading in the area.
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Affiliation(s)
- L P C Carvalho
- Laboratory of Medical Entomology, Center for Agrarian and Environmental Sciences, Federal University of Maranhão, Chapadinha, Maranhão, Brazil
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35
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Augot D, Ninio C, Akhoundi M, Lehrter V, Couloux A, Jouet D, Depaquit J. Characterization of two cryptic species, Culicoides stigma and C.parroti (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae), based on barcode regions and morphology. J Vector Ecol 2013; 38:260-265. [PMID: 24581354 DOI: 10.1111/j.1948-7134.2013.12039.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2013] [Accepted: 06/11/2013] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Biting midges of the genus Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) are insect vectors of economically important veterinary diseases such as African horse sickness, bluetongue, and Schmallenberg virus. The identification of Culicoides based on morphological features can be difficult. Three species of biting midges, Culicoides nubeculosus, C. stigma, and C. parroti have emerged in the laboratory from mud collected around watering troughs on a farm in northern France. Emerging Culicoides were characterized morphologically and molecularly using molecular markers. The closely related species C. stigma and C.parroti showed highly divergent sequences for both mitochondrial (cytochrome B and cytochrome oxidase I) and ribosomal DNA first internal transcribed spacer. A RFLP based on a single restriction using the same enzyme (HaeIII) for both cytochrome C oxidase I and cytochrome B is proposed to identify these species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denis Augot
- Usc Vecpar-ANSES LSA, EA4688, Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne, 51 rue Cognacq-Jay, 51096, Reims Cedex, France.
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Hajd Henni L, Sauvage F, Ninio C, Depaquit J, Augot D. Wing geometry as a tool for discrimination of Obsoletus group (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae: Culicoides) in France. Infect Genet Evol 2013; 21:110-7. [PMID: 24514019 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2013.10.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2013] [Revised: 10/08/2013] [Accepted: 10/10/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
In Europe, Culicoides chiopterus, Culicoides dewulfi, Culicoides obsoletus and Culicoides scoticus, which belongs to the subgenus Avaritia and Obsoletus group are the most proficient Bluetongue and Schmallenberg vectors. Within this group, correct identification based on morphological traits is difficult but essential to assess disease transmission risk. The development of new tools has revolutionized taxonomy (i.e. geometric morphometrics and molecular biology). Wing morphology is of primary importance to entomologists interested in systematics. Here, we report phenotypic differentiation patterns among the species above mentioned using a landmark-based geometric morphometric approach that efficiently identified C. chiopterus and C. dewulfi. Wing shape of the C. scoticus sample exhibited large specific variability. Based on landmarks and phylogenetic analyses (Maximum Parsimony), we suggest that Obsoletus group in Europe includes only C. obsoletus and C. scoticus. C. dewulfi and C. chiopterus are clearly excluded. Their shape seems closer to C. obsoletus that is why we suggest that only these two species should be grouped in the Obsoletus group. In addition, the concordance between phenetic clusters and phylogenies inferred from molecular data based on a fragment of the mtDNA COI gene and rDNA 28S suggests the existence of a strong signal in wing shape. These findings encourage us to use this powerful tool in taxonomic studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Hajd Henni
- Usc-VECPAR, ANSES-LSA, EA 4688, SFR Cap Santé, Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne, F-51100 Reims, France
| | - F Sauvage
- Université de Lyon, F-69000 Lyon, France; Université Lyon 1, CNRS, UMR5558, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, F-69622 Villeurbanne, France
| | - C Ninio
- Usc-VECPAR, ANSES-LSA, EA 4688, SFR Cap Santé, Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne, F-51100 Reims, France
| | - J Depaquit
- Usc-VECPAR, ANSES-LSA, EA 4688, SFR Cap Santé, Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne, F-51100 Reims, France
| | - D Augot
- Usc-VECPAR, ANSES-LSA, EA 4688, SFR Cap Santé, Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne, F-51100 Reims, France.
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Viennet E, Garros C, Gardès L, Rakotoarivony I, Allène X, Lancelot R, Crochet D, Moulia C, Baldet T, Balenghien T. Host preferences of Palaearctic Culicoides biting midges: implications for transmission of orbiviruses. Med Vet Entomol 2013; 27:255-266. [PMID: 22985009 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2915.2012.01042.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Feeding success depends on host availability, host defensive reactions and host preferences. Host choice is a critical determinant of the intensity at which pathogens are transmitted. The aim of the current study was to describe host preferences of Palaearctic Culicoides species (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) Latreille using traps baited with the five different host species of poultry, horse, cattle, sheep and goat. Collections were carried out nightly in July and August 2009 in western France with three replicates of a 5 × 5 randomized Latin square (five sites, five hosts). Moreover, an ultraviolet (UV) light/suction trap was operated during host-baited collections to correlate Culicoides biting rates and UV light/suction trap catches. A total of 660 Culicoides belonging to 12 species, but comprised mainly of Culicoides scoticus Downes and Kettle, Culicoides dewulfi Goetghebuer and Culicoides obsoletus Meigen, were collected on animal baits. Abundance was highest for the horse, which accounted for 95% of all Culicoides caught, representing 10 species. The horse, the largest bait, was the most attractive host, even when abundance data were corrected by weight, body surface or Kleiber's scaling factor. Culicoides obsoletus was the only dominant species attracted by birds. Both C. scoticus and C. dewulfi were collected mainly from the upper body of the horse. Finally, the quantification of host preferences allows for discussion of implications for the transmission of Culicoides-borne pathogens such as bluetongue virus.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Viennet
- UMR Contrôle des Maladies, Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement, Montpellier, France
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38
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Abstract
Biting midges of the genus Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) are insect vectors of economically important veterinary diseases such as African horse sickness virus and bluetongue virus. However, the identification of Culicoides based on morphological features is difficult. The sequencing of mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI), referred to as DNA barcoding, has been proposed as a tool for rapid identification to species. Hence, a study was undertaken to establish DNA barcodes for all morphologically determined Culicoides species in Swedish collections. In total, 237 specimens of Culicoides representing 37 morphologically distinct species were used. The barcoding generated 37 supported clusters, 31 of which were in agreement with the morphological determination. However, two pairs of closely related species could not be separated using the DNA barcode approach. Moreover, Culicoides obsoletus Meigen and Culicoides newsteadi Austen showed relatively deep intraspecific divergence (more than 10 times the average), which led to the creation of two cryptic species within each of C. obsoletus and C. newsteadi. The use of COI barcodes as a tool for the species identification of biting midges can differentiate 95% of species studied. Identification of some closely related species should employ a less conserved region, such as a ribosomal internal transcribed spacer.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Ander
- Department of Virology, Immunobiology and Parasitology, National Veterinary Institute, Uppsala, Sweden
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Yanase T, Matsumoto Y, Matsumori Y, Aizawa M, Hirata M, Kato T, Shirafuji H, Yamakawa M, Tsuda T, Noda H. Molecular identification of field-collected Culicoides larvae in the southern part of Japan. J Med Entomol 2013; 50:1105-1110. [PMID: 24180116 DOI: 10.1603/me11235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Although Culicoides biting midges act as a vector of important human and domestic animal diseases, their ecology is poorly understood. The lack of proper identification systems of Culicoides larvae is one of the main obstacles to progress in research. Based on mitochondrial sequences of 19 Japanese Culicoides species, we designed a universal primer set to amplify the partial sequence of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase I (cox 1). The polymerase chain reaction product amplified from extracted DNA of Culicoides larvae using the primer set was directly sequenced, and species identification based on the variation at cox1 was conducted. Using the molecular identification system, we sorted 243 specimens of field-collected larvae from the southern part of Japan into 10 species including Culicoides arakawae (Arakawa), Culicoides oxystoma Kieffer, and Culicoides brevitarsis Kieffer, which are regarded as vectors of important livestock animal diseases. Eight species of Culicoides larvae, including C. arakawae and C. oxystoma, were recovered from active paddy fields and an abandoned paddy field. The result suggests that paddy fields contribute to breeding a variety of Culicoides species and maintenance and spread of Culicoides-borne pathogens. In contrast, larvae of C. brevitarsis were collected from cattle dung in pastures. The molecular identification system described herein using nucleotide sequences successfully achieved larval identification and will be useful for a better understanding of larval habitats of Culicoides biting midges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tohru Yanase
- Kyushu Research Station, National Institute of Animal Health, NARO, 2702, Chuzan, Kagoshima 891-0105, Japan.
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40
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Isberg E, Hillbur Y, Ignell R. Comparative study of antennal and maxillary palp olfactory sensilla of female biting midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae: Culicoides) in the context of host preference and phylogeny. J Med Entomol 2013; 50:485-492. [PMID: 23802442 DOI: 10.1603/me12235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Culicoides biting midges (Diptera Ceratopogonidae) are vectors of disease, including bluetongue and African horse sickness. Host preference of these insects is primarily regulated by olfactory cues, detected by olfactory sensilla on the antennae and maxillary palps. In this study, we analyzed the sensillum repertoire of biting midge species with known host preferences. Five different morphological sensillum types, sensilla trichodea, s. chaetica, s. ampullacea, s. coeloconica, and grooved peg sensilla, were present on the antennae of all species. In addition sensilla basiconica were present on the maxillary palps. We found that the numbers of short blunt-tipped s. trichodea, s. coeloconica, and s. basiconica are significantly higher in the ornithophilic Culicoides festivipennis (Kieffer) compared with the mammalophilic Culicoides obsoletus (Meigen) and Culicoides chiopterus (Meigen). In contrast, we found that the mammalophilic Culicoides pulicaris (L.) and the opportunistic Culicoides punctatus (Meigen) have intermediate numbers of these sensillum types. Comparison with available data from other species strongly suggests that these differences in the number of specific sensillum types, in general, are a reflection of host preference and not of phylogeny. We discuss the putative function of the individual sensillum types in relation to host volatile detection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elin Isberg
- Department of Plant Protection Biology, Division of Chemical Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 102, 230 53 Alnarp, Sweden.
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41
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Rigot T, Drubbel MV, Delécolle JC, Gilbert M. Farms, pastures and woodlands: the fine-scale distribution of Palearctic Culicoides spp. biting midges along an agro-ecological gradient. Med Vet Entomol 2013; 27:29-38. [PMID: 22897885 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2915.2012.01032.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
The spatial epidemiology of Bluetongue virus (BTV) at the landscape level relates to the fine-scale distribution and dispersal capacities of its vectors, midges belonging to the genus Culicoides Latreille (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae). Although many previous researches have carried out Culicoides sampling on farms, little is known of the fine-scale distribution of Culicoides in the landscape immediately surrounding farms. The aim of this study was to gain a better understanding of Culicoides populations at increasing distances from typical dairy farms in north-west Europe, through the use of eight Onderstepoort-type black-light traps positioned along linear transects departing from farms, going through pastures and entering woodlands. A total of 16 902 Culicoides were collected in autumn 2008 and spring 2009. The majority were females, of which more than 97% were recognized as potential vectors. In pastures, we found decreasing numbers of female Culicoides as a function of the distance to the farm. This pattern was modelled by leptokurtic models, with parameters depending on season and species. By contrast, the low number of male Culicoides caught were homogeneously distributed along the transects. When transects entered woodlands, we found a higher abundance of Culicoides than expected considering the distance of the sampling sites to the farm, although this varied according to species.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Rigot
- Lutte Biologique et Ecologie Spatiale (LUBIES), Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium.
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42
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Videvall E, Bensch S, Ander M, Chirico J, Sigvald R, Ignell R. Molecular identification of bloodmeals and species composition in Culicoides biting midges. Med Vet Entomol 2013; 27:104-112. [PMID: 22882691 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2915.2012.01038.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Investigations of host preferences in haematophagous insects, including Culicoides biting midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae), are critical in order to assess transmission routes of vector-borne diseases. In this study, we collected and morphologically identified 164 blood-engorged Culicoides females caught in both light traps and permanent 12-m high suction traps during 2008-2010 in Sweden. Molecular analysis of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene in the biting midges was performed to verify species classification, discern phylogenetic relationships and uncover possible cryptic species. Bloodmeal analysis using universal vertebrate cytochrome b primers revealed a clear distinction in host selection between mammalophilic and ornithophilic Culicoides species. Host sequences found matches in horse (n = 59), sheep (n = 39), cattle (n = 26), Eurasian elk (n = 1) and 10 different bird species (n = 18). We identified 15 Culicoides species previously recorded in Scandinavia and four additional species haplotypes that were distinctly different from the described species. All ornithophilic individuals (n = 23) were caught exclusively in the suction traps, as were, interestingly, almost all mammalophilic species (n = 41), indicating that many biting midge species may be able to cover long distances after completing a bloodmeal. These results add new information on the composition of Culicoides species and their host preferences and their potential long-distance dispersal while blood-engorged.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Videvall
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
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Abstract
Studies of blackfly vectors of Onchocerca dewittei japonica Uni, Bain & Takaoka (Spirurida: Onchocercidae), a parasite of wild boar implicated in the aetiology of zoonotic onchocerciasis in Japan, and six other zoonotic Onchocerca species of this country are reviewed. Molecular identification of infective larvae found in wild-caught female blackflies showed that Simulium bidentatum (Shiraki) (Diptera: Simuliidae) is a natural vector of O. dewittei japonica, and also Onchocerca sp. sensu Fukuda et al., another parasite of wild boar. Inoculation experiments demonstrated that Simulium arakawae Matsumura and four other Simulium species are putative vectors. Similarly, S. arakawae, S. bidentatum and Simulium oitanum (Shiraki) are putative vectors of Onchocerca eberhardi Uni & Bain and Onchocerca skrjabini Rukhlyadev, parasites of sika deer. Morphometric studies of infective larvae indicated that Onchocerca lienalis Stiles, a bovine species, is transmitted by S. arakawae, Simulium daisense (Takahasi) and Simulium kyushuense Takaoka, and that Onchocerca sp. sensu Takaoka & Bain, another bovine species, is transmitted by S. arakawae, S. bidentatum, S. daisense and S. oitanum. Prosimulium sp. (Diptera: Simuliidae) and Simulium japonicum Matsumura are suspected vectors of Onchocerca suzukii Yagi, Bain & Shoho and O. skrjabini [Twinnia japonensis Rubtsov (Diptera: Simuliidae) may also transmit the latter], parasites of Japanese serow, following detection of the parasites' DNA genes in wild-caught blackflies.
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Affiliation(s)
- H Takaoka
- Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
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Purse BV, Falconer D, Sullivan MJ, Carpenter S, Mellor PS, Piertney SB, Mordue Luntz AJ, Albon S, Gunn GJ, Blackwell A. Impacts of climate, host and landscape factors on Culicoides species in Scotland. Med Vet Entomol 2012; 26:168-177. [PMID: 22103842 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2915.2011.00991.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Culicoides biting midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) vector a wide variety of internationally important arboviral pathogens of livestock and represent a widespread biting nuisance. This study investigated the influence of landscape, host and remotely-sensed climate factors on local abundance of livestock-associated species in Scotland, within a hierarchical generalized linear model framework. The Culicoides obsoletus group and the Culicoides pulicaris group accounted for 56% and 41%, respectively, of adult females trapped. Culicoides impunctatus Goetghebuer and C. pulicaris s.s. Linnaeus were the most abundant and widespread species in the C. pulicaris group (accounting for 29% and 10%, respectively, of females trapped). Abundance models performed well for C. impunctatus, Culicoides deltus Edwards and Culicoides punctatus Meigen (adjusted R(2) : 0.59-0.70), but not for C. pulicaris s.s. (adjusted R(2) : 0.36) and the C. obsoletus group (adjusted R(2) : 0.08). Local-scale abundance patterns were best explained by models combining host, landscape and climate factors. The abundance of C. impunctatus was negatively associated with cattle density, but positively associated with pasture cover, consistent with this species' preference in the larval stage for lightly grazed, wet rush pasture. Predicted abundances of this species varied widely among farms even over short distances (less than a few km). Modelling approaches that may facilitate the more accurate prediction of local abundance patterns for a wider range of Culicoides species are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- B V Purse
- NERC Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Penicuik, U.K.
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45
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Rigot T, Gilbert M. Quantifying the spatial dependence of Culicoides midge samples collected by Onderstepoort-type blacklight traps: an experimental approach to infer the range of attraction of light traps. Med Vet Entomol 2012; 26:152-161. [PMID: 22098421 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2915.2011.00988.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
The emergence of bluetongue disease in Europe has led several countries to rapidly establish large-scale entomological surveys of its vectors, which are midges belonging to the genus Culicoides Latreille, 1809 (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae). These surveys have largely been based on the use of Onderstepoort-type blacklight traps. However, the range of attraction of the traps and the spatial dependence of the samples they provide are unknown, which somewhat complicates subsequent analyses. This paper investigates spatial interaction between Onderstepoort-type blacklight traps based on catches at a central trap placed close to two traps set in consecutive on/off modes. The spatial interaction is inferred from the drop in the number of midges collected in the central trap when nearby traps positioned at 50 m, 100 m or 200 m are turned on. The results showed a significant spatial interaction between traps separated by 50 m for female Culicoides obsoletus/Culicoides scoticus and Culicoides dewulfi. No significant interaction was found for female Culicoides of other species, for male Culicoides, or for traps spaced at ≥100 m. Based on the experimental design geometry and on simple assumptions on the distribution of Culicoides midges in the neighbourhood of the traps, the paper also presents a method to infer the range of attraction of the traps.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Rigot
- Biological Control and Spatial Ecology (LUBIES), Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium.
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46
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Ramilo DW, Diaz S, Pereira da Fonseca I, Delécolle JC, Wilson A, Meireles J, Lucientes J, Ribeiro R, Boinas F. First report of 13 species of Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) in mainland Portugal and Azores by morphological and molecular characterization. PLoS One 2012; 7:e34896. [PMID: 22536340 PMCID: PMC3334969 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0034896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2011] [Accepted: 03/08/2012] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The genus Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) contains important vectors of animal and human diseases, including bluetongue, African horse sickness and filariosis. A major outbreak of bluetongue occurred in mainland Portugal in 2004, forty eight years after the last recorded case. A national Entomological Surveillance Plan was initiated in mainland Portugal, Azores and the Madeira archipelagos in 2005 in order to better understand the disease and facilitate policy decisions. During the survey, the most prevalent Culicoides species in mainland Portugal was C. imicola (75.3%) and species belonging to the Obsoletus group (6.5%). The latter were the most prevalent in Azores archipelago, accounting for 96.7% of the total species identified. The Obsoletus group was further characterized by multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction to species level showing that only two species of this group were present: C. obsoletus sensu strictu (69.6%) and C. scoticus (30.4%). Nine species of Culicoides were detected for the first time in mainland Portugal: C. alazanicus, C. bahrainensis, C. deltus, C. lupicaris, C. picturatus, C. santonicus, C. semimaculatus, C. simulator and C. subfagineus. In the Azores, C. newsteadi and C. circumscriptus were identified for the first time from some islands, and bluetongue vectors belonging to the Obsoletus group (C. obsoletus and C. scoticus) were found to be widespread.
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Affiliation(s)
- David W. Ramilo
- Interdisciplinary Centre of Research in Animal Health (CIISA), Veterinary Medicine Faculty, Technical University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Suraya Diaz
- Interdisciplinary Centre of Research in Animal Health (CIISA), Veterinary Medicine Faculty, Technical University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Isabel Pereira da Fonseca
- Interdisciplinary Centre of Research in Animal Health (CIISA), Veterinary Medicine Faculty, Technical University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Jean-Claude Delécolle
- Laboratory of Entomology, Institute of Parasitology and Tropical Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Strasbourg, France
| | - Anthony Wilson
- Pirbright Laboratory, Institute for Animal Health, Pirbright, Woking, Surrey, United Kingdom
| | - José Meireles
- Interdisciplinary Centre of Research in Animal Health (CIISA), Veterinary Medicine Faculty, Technical University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Javier Lucientes
- Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, Department of Animal Pathology (Animal Health), Veterinary Faculty, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Rita Ribeiro
- Interdisciplinary Centre of Research in Animal Health (CIISA), Veterinary Medicine Faculty, Technical University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Fernando Boinas
- Interdisciplinary Centre of Research in Animal Health (CIISA), Veterinary Medicine Faculty, Technical University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal
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Deblauwe I, de Witte JC, de Deken G, de Deken R, Madder M, van Erk S, Hoza FA, Lathouwers D, Geysen D. A new tool for the molecular identification of Culicoides species of the Obsoletus group: the glass slide microarray approach. Med Vet Entomol 2012; 26:83-91. [PMID: 21973187 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2915.2011.00979.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Culicoides species of the Obsoletus group (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) are potential vectors of bluetongue virus serotype 8 (BTV 8), which was introduced into central Western Europe in 2006. Correct morphological species identification of Obsoletus group females is especially difficult and molecular identification is the method of choice. In this study we present a new molecular tool based on probe hybridization using a DNA microarray format to identify Culicoides species of the Obsoletus group. The internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1) gene sequences of 55 Culicoides belonging to 13 different species were determined and used, together with 19 Culicoides ITS1 sequences sourced from GenBank, to design species-specific probes for the microarray test. This test was evaluated using the amplified ITS1 sequences of another 85 Culicoides specimens, belonging to 11 species. The microarray test successfully identified all samples (100%) of the Obsoletus group, identifying each specimen to species level within the group. This test has several advantages over existing polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based molecular tools, including possible capability for parallel analysis of many species, high sensitivity and specificity, and low background signal noise. Hand-spotting of the microarray slide and the use of detection chemistry make this alternative technique affordable and feasible for any diagnostic laboratory with PCR facilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- I Deblauwe
- Animal Health Department, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nationalestraat 155, Antwerp, Belgium.
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48
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Becker E, Venter GJ, Labuschagne K, Greyling T, van Hamburg H. Occurrence of Culicoides species Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) in the Khomas region of Namibia during the winter months. Vet Ital 2012; 48:45-54. [PMID: 22485002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Although African horse sickness (AHS) is considered to be endemic in Namibia, limited data on its Culicoides midge vector (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) are available. The principal study objective was to determine the presence, species composition and the richness and diversity of Culicoides adults during the colder and drier months in the Khomas region of central Namibia. Five sites were selected, ranging from relatively high to low altitudes with high to low annual rainfall. Onderstepoort suction UV-light traps were used for Culicoides species collection and were run during the winter from 6 July to 21 September 2009. A relatively high diversity of 25 species from 9 091 Culicoides individuals were collected in 34 collections. The abundance of the proven vector of AHS virus, Culicoides imicola, varied from 94% near Windhoek at a high altitude and relatively higher annual rainfall, to 12% at the site situated farthest south-west, with the lowest altitude and annual rainfall. This relatively high Culicoides midge abundance, coupled with the presence of a cycling host (zebra) in the area, imply that AHS virus may overwinter in the Khomas region of Namibia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elbè Becker
- School of Environmental Science and Development, North West University, Potchefstroom Campus, PO Box 6001, Potchefstroom 2520, South Africa
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49
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Ronderos MM, Marino PI, Díaz F, Estévez AL. Biting midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) from Martín García Island, Argentina. REV BIOL TROP 2011; 59:1183-1194. [PMID: 22017124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Nearly 230 species of biting midges have been recorded or described from Argentina; 38 of them are known from the Buenos Aires province and only one is cited from Martín García Island. This paper presents the results raised from six collecting trips which took place on the island during spring 2005, summer 2006 and autumn 2009. Diverse sampling sites including permanent and temporary aquatic environments were chosen, most of the ten sampling sites were ponds of diverse origin, some of these environments were covered with floating vegetation as Lemna gibba, Lemna minuscule, Salvinia biloba, Salvinia minima, Azolla filiculoides, Limnobium laevigatum, Pistia stratiotes, Spirodela intermedia, Wolffiella oblonga and Wolffia columbiana. Other sites were placed in urban and suburban areas. Adults were collected with sweep nets at sunrise and sunset and with light traps at intervals of four to five hours at night, depending on electricity availability on the island. Larvae and pupae were collected with different implements depending on characteristics of each surveyed aquatic habitat. In free standing water, they were captured with small sieves or hand pipettes and micropipettes, flotation techniques were utilized for sampling vegetated areas, free and rooted floating hydrophytes were extracted for removing insects among them. Thirteen species of Ceratopogonidae were collected, three of Atrichopogon Kieffer, three of Forcipomyia Meigen, two of Dasyhelea Kieffer, four of Culicoides Latreille, and one of Bezzia Kieffer, all representing new records from the island.
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Affiliation(s)
- María M Ronderos
- División Entomología, Museo de La Plata, Paseo del Bosque s/n, 1900 La Plata, Argentina.
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50
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Schmidtmann ET, Herrero MV, Green AL, Dargatz DA, Rodriquez JM, Walton TE. Distribution of Culicoides sonorensis (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) in Nebraska, South Dakota, and North Dakota: clarifying the epidemiology of bluetongue disease in the northern Great Plains region of the United States. J Med Entomol 2011; 48:634-643. [PMID: 21661325 DOI: 10.1603/me10231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
The presence or absence of the biting midge Culicoides sonorensis Wirth & Jones (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae), a primary vector of bluetongue viruses (genus Orbivirus, family Reoviridae, BTV) in North America, was assessed on ranches and farms across the Northern Great Plains region of the United States, specifically Nebraska, South Dakota, and North Dakota, as part of a 2-yr regional study of BTV exposure among cattle. Blacklight/suction trap samples totaling 280 2-night intervals were taken at 140 aquatic sites (potential larval habitat for C. sonorensis) on 82 livestock operations (ranches and farms) that span a south-to-north gradient of expected decreasing risk for exposure to BTV. In Nebraska, C. sonorensis populations were common and widespread, present at 15 of 18 operations. Of 32 operations sampled in South Dakota, seven of which were sampled in successive years, 18 were positive for C. sonorensis; 13 of 14 operations located west of the Missouri River were positive, whereas 13 of 18 operations east of the river were negative. Of 32 operations sampled in North Dakota, seven of which were sampled both years, 12 were positive for C. sonorensis. Six of eight operations located west and south of the Missouri River in North Dakota were positive, whereas 18 of 24 operations east and north of the river were negative for C. sonorensis. These data illustrate a well-defined pattern of C. sonorensis spatial distribution, with populations consistently present across Nebraska, western South Dakota, and western North Dakota; western South Dakota, and North Dakota encompass the Northwestern Plains Ecoregion where soils are nonglaciated and evaporation exceeds precipitation. In contrast, C. sonorensis populations were largely absent east of the Missouri River in South Dakota and North Dakota; this area comprises the Northwestern Glaciated Plains Ecoregion and Northern Glaciated Plains Ecoregion where surface soils reflect Wisconsinan glaciation and precipitation exceeds evaporation. In defining a well-demarcated pattern of population presence or absence on a regional scale, the data suggest that biogeographic factors regulate the distribution of C. sonorensis and in turn BTV exposure. These factors, ostensibly climate and soil type as they affect the suitability of larval habitat, may explain the absence of C. sonorensis, hence limited risk for exposure to BTV, across the eastern Northern Plains, upper Midwest, and possibly Northeast, regions of the United States.
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Affiliation(s)
- E T Schmidtmann
- Arthropod-Borne Animal Diseases Research Unit, 1515 College Ave., Manhattan, KS, 66502, USA.
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