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Mestre F, Pereira AL, Araújo MB. Climate correlates of bluetongue incidence in southern Portugal. MEDICAL AND VETERINARY ENTOMOLOGY 2024. [PMID: 39031652 DOI: 10.1111/mve.12738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2023] [Accepted: 06/10/2024] [Indexed: 07/22/2024]
Abstract
Model forecasts of the spatiotemporal occurrence dynamics of diseases are necessary and can help understand and thus manage future disease outbreaks. In our study, we used ecological niche modelling to assess the impact of climate on the vector suitability for bluetongue disease, a disease affecting livestock production with important economic consequences. Specifically, we investigated the relationship between the occurrence of bluetongue outbreaks and the environmental suitability of each of the four vector species studied. We found that the main vector for bluetongue disease, Culicoides imicola, a typically tropical and subtropical species, was a strong predictor for disease outbreak occurrence in a region of southern Portugal from 2004 to 2021. The results highlight the importance of understanding the climatic factors that might influence vector presence to help manage infectious disease impacts. When diseases impact economically relevant species, the impacts go beyond mortality and have important economic consequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frederico Mestre
- 'Rui Nabeiro' Biodiversity Chair-Mediterranean Institute for Agriculture, Environment and Development (MED) & Global Change and Sustainability Institute, Institute for Advanced Studies and Research (CHANGE), Universidade de Évora, Évora, Portugal
| | | | - Miguel B Araújo
- 'Rui Nabeiro' Biodiversity Chair-Mediterranean Institute for Agriculture, Environment and Development (MED) & Global Change and Sustainability Institute, Institute for Advanced Studies and Research (CHANGE), Universidade de Évora, Évora, Portugal
- Department of Biogeography and Global Change, National Museum of Natural Sciences, CSIC, Madrid, Spain
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2
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Benn JS, Orange JP, Gomez JP, Dinh ETN, McGregor BL, Blosser EM, Burkett-Cadena ND, Wisely SM, Blackburn JK. Culicoides Midge Abundance across Years: Modeling Inter-Annual Variation for an Avian Feeder and a Candidate Vector of Hemorrhagic Diseases in Farmed Wildlife. Viruses 2024; 16:766. [PMID: 38793647 PMCID: PMC11125994 DOI: 10.3390/v16050766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2024] [Revised: 04/25/2024] [Accepted: 05/04/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
(1) Background: Epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus (EHDV) and bluetongue virus (BTV) are orbiviruses that cause hemorrhagic disease (HD) with significant economic and population health impacts on domestic livestock and wildlife. In the United States, white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) are particularly susceptible to these viruses and are a frequent blood meal host for various species of Culicoides biting midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) that transmit orbiviruses. The species of Culicoides that transmit EHDV and BTV vary between regions, and larval habitats can differ widely between vector species. Understanding how midges are distributed across landscapes can inform HD virus transmission risk on a local scale, allowing for improved animal management plans to avoid suspected high-risk areas or target these areas for insecticide control. (2) Methods: We used occupancy modeling to estimate the abundance of gravid (egg-laden) and parous (most likely to transmit the virus) females of two putative vector species, C. stellifer and C. venustus, and one species, C. haematopotus, that was not considered a putative vector. We developed a universal model to determine habitat preferences, then mapped a predicted weekly midge abundance during the HD transmission seasons in 2015 (July-October) and 2016 (May-October) in Florida. (3) Results: We found differences in habitat preferences and spatial distribution between the parous and gravid states for C. haematopotus and C. stellifer. Gravid midges preferred areas close to water on the border of well and poorly drained soil. They also preferred mixed bottomland hardwood habitats, whereas parous midges appeared less selective of habitat. (4) Conclusions: If C. stellifer is confirmed as an EHDV vector in this region, the distinct spatial and abundance patterns between species and physiological states suggest that the HD risk is non-random across the study area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamie S. Benn
- Spatial Epidemiology & Ecology Research Laboratory, Department of Geography, University of Florida, 3141 Turlington Hall, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA; (J.S.B.); (J.P.O.)
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, 2055 Mowry Road, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Jeremy P. Orange
- Spatial Epidemiology & Ecology Research Laboratory, Department of Geography, University of Florida, 3141 Turlington Hall, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA; (J.S.B.); (J.P.O.)
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, 2055 Mowry Road, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Juan Pablo Gomez
- Departamento de Química y Biología, Universidad del Norte, Barranquilla 080001, Colombia;
| | - Emily T. N. Dinh
- Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, 333 S Grand Ave, Lansing, MI 48933, USA;
| | - Bethany L. McGregor
- USDA-ARS-Center for Grain and Animal Health Research-Arthropod-Borne Animal Diseases Research Unit, 1515 College Ave, Manhatten, KS 66506, USA;
| | - Erik M. Blosser
- Sutter-Yuba Mosquito & Vector Control District, 701 Bogue Road, Yuba City, CA 95991, USA;
| | - Nathan D. Burkett-Cadena
- Florida Medical Entomology Laboratory, University of Florida, 200 9th St SE, Vero Beach, FL 32962, USA;
| | - Samantha M. Wisely
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, 110 Newins-Ziegler Hall, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA;
| | - Jason K. Blackburn
- Spatial Epidemiology & Ecology Research Laboratory, Department of Geography, University of Florida, 3141 Turlington Hall, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA; (J.S.B.); (J.P.O.)
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, 2055 Mowry Road, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
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Dähn O, Werner D, Mathieu B, Kampen H. Large-Scale Cytochrome C Oxidase Subunit I Gene Data Analysis for the Development of a Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction Test Capable of Identifying Biting Midge Vector Species and Haplotypes (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) of the Culicoides Subgenus Avaritia Fox, 1955. Genes (Basel) 2024; 15:323. [PMID: 38540382 PMCID: PMC10969821 DOI: 10.3390/genes15030323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2024] [Revised: 02/22/2024] [Accepted: 02/28/2024] [Indexed: 06/14/2024] Open
Abstract
The emergence of culicoid-transmitted bluetongue and Schmallenberg viruses in several European countries demonstrated the ability of indigenous biting midge species to transmit pathogens. Entomologic research programs identified members of the Obsoletus Group (Culicoides subgenus Avaritia) as keyplayers in disease epidemiology in Europe. However, morphological identification of potential vectors is challenging due to the recent discovery of new genetic variants (haplotypes) of C. obsoletus sensu stricto (s.s.), forming distinct clades. In this study, 4422 GenBank entries of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene of subgenus Avaritia members of the genus Culicoides were analyzed to develop a conventional multiplex PCR, capable of detecting all vector species and clades of the Western Palearctic in this subgenus. Numerous GenBank entries incorrectly assigned to a species were identified, analyzed and reassigned. The results suggest that the three C. obsoletus clades represent independent species, whereas C. montanus should rather be regarded as a genetic variant of C. obsoletus s.s. Based on these findings, specific primers were designed and validated with DNA material from field-caught biting midges which achieved very high diagnostic sensitivity (100%) when compared to an established reference PCR (82.6%).
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Affiliation(s)
- Oliver Dähn
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut (FLI), Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Südufer 10, 17493 Greifswald, Germany
| | - Doreen Werner
- Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF), Eberswalder Str. 84, 15374 Müncheberg, Germany
| | - Bruno Mathieu
- Institutes of Bacteriology and Parasitology, Medical Faculty, University of Strasbourg, UR 3073 PHAVI, 67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Helge Kampen
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut (FLI), Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Südufer 10, 17493 Greifswald, Germany
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Daif S, El Berbri I, Fassi Fihri O. First molecular evidence of potential Culicoides vectors implicated in bluetongue virus transmission in Morocco. Parasit Vectors 2024; 17:71. [PMID: 38374115 PMCID: PMC10877861 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-024-06167-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 01/27/2024] [Indexed: 02/21/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Bluetongue is a non-contagious viral disease that affects both domestic and wild ruminants. It is transmitted primarily by small hematophagous Diptera belonging to the genus Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae). The current study represents the first molecular investigation into the potential role of Culicoides imicola, Culicoides paolae, Culicoides newsteadi, Culicoides spp., and Culicoides circumscriptus as bluetongue virus (BTV) vectors in Morocco. Additionally, the study aimed to evaluate the vectorial activity of midges during the survey seasons. METHODS Parous females of these species were captured from several regions of Morocco (6 out of 12) from 2018 to 2021 using Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute (OVI) traps. A total of 2003 parous female specimens were grouped into 55 batches. The midge body of each batch was dissected into three regions (head, thorax, and abdomen), and these regions were analyzed separately using reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). RESULTS BTV RNA was detected in 45 out of the 55 batches tested, indicating a positivity rate of 81.8%. The RT-qPCR-positive pools of the studied Culicoides species exhibited high levels of BTV positivity in each body part (head, thorax, and abdomen), confirming the successful replication of the virus within midge bodies. The BTV circulation was substantial across all three survey seasons (spring, summer, and autumn). High infection rates, calculated using the minimum infection rate (MIR) and maximum likelihood estimation (MLE), were observed during the collection seasons, particularly in autumn and spring, and for all investigated Culicoides species, most notably for C. imicola and C. newsteadi. These increased infection rates underscore the significant risk of Culicoides transmitting the BTV in Morocco. CONCLUSIONS The detection of BTV positivity in Culicoides spp. (lacking wing spots that allow their differentiation according to morphological identification keys) suggested that other Culicoides species are competent for BTV transmission in Morocco. The study results indicated, for the first time at the molecular level, that C. imicola and C. newsteadi are the primary potential vectors of BTV in Morocco and that C. paolae and C. circumscriptus are strongly implicated in the propagation of bluetongue at the national level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soukaina Daif
- Microbiology, Immunology, and Infectious Diseases Unit, Department of Pathology and Veterinary Public Health, Institut Agronomique et Vétérinaire Hassan II, Rabat, Morocco.
| | - Ikhlass El Berbri
- Microbiology, Immunology, and Infectious Diseases Unit, Department of Pathology and Veterinary Public Health, Institut Agronomique et Vétérinaire Hassan II, Rabat, Morocco
| | - Ouafaa Fassi Fihri
- Microbiology, Immunology, and Infectious Diseases Unit, Department of Pathology and Veterinary Public Health, Institut Agronomique et Vétérinaire Hassan II, Rabat, Morocco
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Ebai R, Kien CA, Fombad FF, Esofi F, Ouam E, Ntuh AN, Amambo GN, Gandjui VNT, Chunda VC, Nietcho F, Nchang LC, Magha C, Cho JF, Esum ME, Enyong PI, Pfarr K, Hoerauf A, Ritter M, Wanji S. Culicoides Species of the Rain Forest Belt of the Littoral Region of Cameroon: Their Incrimination in the Transmission of Mansonella perstans. Pathogens 2024; 13:146. [PMID: 38392884 PMCID: PMC10892414 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens13020146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2023] [Revised: 01/05/2024] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Biting midges belonging to the genus Culicoides are tiny stout-shaped hematophagous insects and are thought to transmit the filarial nematode Mansonella perstans. Little is known about the Culicoides fauna in the rain forest belt of the Littoral Region of Cameroon. This study was designed to investigate the diversity, abundance and distribution of Culicoides spp. and their role as the purported vector(s) of M. perstans. Overnight light trap collections and human landing catches (HLCs) revealed eight species of Culicoides with C. grahamii being the most abundant species followed by C. milnei. Four anthropophilic species (C. inornatipennis, C. grahamii, C. fulvithorax and C. milnei) were determined by the HLCs with a higher abundance in the 4-6 p.m. collections. The drop trap technique and Mp419 LAMP assay confirmed C. milnei to be the most efficient vector in enabling the development of the microfilarial stage to the infective larval form of M. perstans. The LAMP assay also revealed that natural transmission of this nematode is fostered by C. milnei and C. grahamii in the wild. In conclusion, C. milnei was shown to be the main vector of M. perstans in the rain forest belt of the Littoral Region of Cameroon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rene Ebai
- Parasite and Vector Research Unit (PAVRU), Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, University of Buea, Buea P.O. Box 63, Cameroon (C.A.K.); (A.N.N.); (V.N.T.G.); (V.C.C.); (C.M.)
- Research Foundation for Tropical Diseases and the Environment (REFOTDE), Buea P.O. Box 63, Cameroon
| | - Chi Anizette Kien
- Parasite and Vector Research Unit (PAVRU), Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, University of Buea, Buea P.O. Box 63, Cameroon (C.A.K.); (A.N.N.); (V.N.T.G.); (V.C.C.); (C.M.)
- Research Foundation for Tropical Diseases and the Environment (REFOTDE), Buea P.O. Box 63, Cameroon
| | - Fanny Fri Fombad
- Parasite and Vector Research Unit (PAVRU), Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, University of Buea, Buea P.O. Box 63, Cameroon (C.A.K.); (A.N.N.); (V.N.T.G.); (V.C.C.); (C.M.)
- Research Foundation for Tropical Diseases and the Environment (REFOTDE), Buea P.O. Box 63, Cameroon
| | - Frederick Esofi
- Parasite and Vector Research Unit (PAVRU), Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, University of Buea, Buea P.O. Box 63, Cameroon (C.A.K.); (A.N.N.); (V.N.T.G.); (V.C.C.); (C.M.)
- Research Foundation for Tropical Diseases and the Environment (REFOTDE), Buea P.O. Box 63, Cameroon
| | - Emmanuel Ouam
- Parasite and Vector Research Unit (PAVRU), Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, University of Buea, Buea P.O. Box 63, Cameroon (C.A.K.); (A.N.N.); (V.N.T.G.); (V.C.C.); (C.M.)
- Research Foundation for Tropical Diseases and the Environment (REFOTDE), Buea P.O. Box 63, Cameroon
| | - Anna Ning Ntuh
- Parasite and Vector Research Unit (PAVRU), Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, University of Buea, Buea P.O. Box 63, Cameroon (C.A.K.); (A.N.N.); (V.N.T.G.); (V.C.C.); (C.M.)
- Research Foundation for Tropical Diseases and the Environment (REFOTDE), Buea P.O. Box 63, Cameroon
| | - Glory Ngongeh Amambo
- Parasite and Vector Research Unit (PAVRU), Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, University of Buea, Buea P.O. Box 63, Cameroon (C.A.K.); (A.N.N.); (V.N.T.G.); (V.C.C.); (C.M.)
- Research Foundation for Tropical Diseases and the Environment (REFOTDE), Buea P.O. Box 63, Cameroon
| | - Victor Narcisse Tchamatchoua Gandjui
- Parasite and Vector Research Unit (PAVRU), Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, University of Buea, Buea P.O. Box 63, Cameroon (C.A.K.); (A.N.N.); (V.N.T.G.); (V.C.C.); (C.M.)
- Research Foundation for Tropical Diseases and the Environment (REFOTDE), Buea P.O. Box 63, Cameroon
| | - Valerine Chawa Chunda
- Parasite and Vector Research Unit (PAVRU), Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, University of Buea, Buea P.O. Box 63, Cameroon (C.A.K.); (A.N.N.); (V.N.T.G.); (V.C.C.); (C.M.)
- Research Foundation for Tropical Diseases and the Environment (REFOTDE), Buea P.O. Box 63, Cameroon
| | - Franck Nietcho
- Research Foundation for Tropical Diseases and the Environment (REFOTDE), Buea P.O. Box 63, Cameroon
| | - Lucy Cho Nchang
- Parasite and Vector Research Unit (PAVRU), Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, University of Buea, Buea P.O. Box 63, Cameroon (C.A.K.); (A.N.N.); (V.N.T.G.); (V.C.C.); (C.M.)
- Research Foundation for Tropical Diseases and the Environment (REFOTDE), Buea P.O. Box 63, Cameroon
| | - Chefor Magha
- Parasite and Vector Research Unit (PAVRU), Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, University of Buea, Buea P.O. Box 63, Cameroon (C.A.K.); (A.N.N.); (V.N.T.G.); (V.C.C.); (C.M.)
- Research Foundation for Tropical Diseases and the Environment (REFOTDE), Buea P.O. Box 63, Cameroon
| | - Jerome Fru Cho
- Parasite and Vector Research Unit (PAVRU), Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, University of Buea, Buea P.O. Box 63, Cameroon (C.A.K.); (A.N.N.); (V.N.T.G.); (V.C.C.); (C.M.)
- Research Foundation for Tropical Diseases and the Environment (REFOTDE), Buea P.O. Box 63, Cameroon
| | - Mathias Eyong Esum
- Parasite and Vector Research Unit (PAVRU), Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, University of Buea, Buea P.O. Box 63, Cameroon (C.A.K.); (A.N.N.); (V.N.T.G.); (V.C.C.); (C.M.)
- Research Foundation for Tropical Diseases and the Environment (REFOTDE), Buea P.O. Box 63, Cameroon
| | - Peter Ivo Enyong
- Parasite and Vector Research Unit (PAVRU), Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, University of Buea, Buea P.O. Box 63, Cameroon (C.A.K.); (A.N.N.); (V.N.T.G.); (V.C.C.); (C.M.)
- Research Foundation for Tropical Diseases and the Environment (REFOTDE), Buea P.O. Box 63, Cameroon
| | - Kenneth Pfarr
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology (IMMIP), University Hospital Bonn (UKB), 53127 Bonn, Germany (A.H.)
- German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Bonn-Cologne, 53127 Bonn, Germany
| | - Achim Hoerauf
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology (IMMIP), University Hospital Bonn (UKB), 53127 Bonn, Germany (A.H.)
- German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Bonn-Cologne, 53127 Bonn, Germany
- German-West African Centre for Global Health and Pandemic Prevention (G-WAC), Partner Site Bonn, 53127 Bonn, Germany
| | - Manuel Ritter
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology (IMMIP), University Hospital Bonn (UKB), 53127 Bonn, Germany (A.H.)
- German-West African Centre for Global Health and Pandemic Prevention (G-WAC), Partner Site Bonn, 53127 Bonn, Germany
| | - Samuel Wanji
- Parasite and Vector Research Unit (PAVRU), Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, University of Buea, Buea P.O. Box 63, Cameroon (C.A.K.); (A.N.N.); (V.N.T.G.); (V.C.C.); (C.M.)
- Research Foundation for Tropical Diseases and the Environment (REFOTDE), Buea P.O. Box 63, Cameroon
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Barceló C, Searle KR, Estrada R, Lucientes J, Miranda MÁ, Purse BV. The use of path analysis to determine effects of environmental factors on the adult seasonality of Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) vector species in Spain. BULLETIN OF ENTOMOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2023; 113:402-411. [PMID: 36908249 DOI: 10.1017/s0007485323000068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Culicoides biting midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) are the main vectors of livestock diseases such as bluetongue (BT) which mainly affect sheep and cattle. In Spain, bluetongue virus (BTV) is transmitted by several Culicoides taxa, including Culicoides imicola, Obsoletus complex, Culicoides newsteadi and Culicoides pulicaris that vary in seasonality and distribution, affecting the distribution and dynamics of BT outbreaks. Path analysis is useful for separating direct and indirect, biotic and abiotic determinants of species' population performance and is ideal for understanding the sensitivity of adult Culicoides dynamics to multiple environmental drivers. Start, end of season and length of overwintering of adult Culicoides were analysed across 329 sites in Spain sampled from 2005 to 2010 during the National Entomosurveillance Program for BTV with path analysis, to determine the direct and indirect effects of land use, climate and host factor variables. Culicoides taxa had species-specific responses to environmental variables. While the seasonality of adult C. imicola was strongly affected by topography, temperature, cover of agro-forestry and sclerophyllous vegetation, rainfall, livestock density, photoperiod in autumn and the abundance of Culicoides females, Obsoletus complex species seasonality was affected by land-use variables such as cover of natural grassland and broad-leaved forest. Culicoides female abundance was the most explanatory variable for the seasonality of C. newsteadi, while C. pulicaris showed that temperature during winter and the photoperiod in November had a strong effect on the start of the season and the length of overwinter period of this species. These results indicate that the seasonal vector-free period (SVFP) in Spain will vary between competent vector taxa and geographic locations, dependent on the different responses of each taxa to environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Barceló
- Applied Zoology and Animal Conservation Research Group, Department of Biology, University of the Balearic Islands (UIB), Ctra. Valldemossa Km 7.5, 07122 Palma de Mallorca, Spain
| | - Kate R Searle
- UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Bush Estate, EH26 0QB Edinburgh, UK
| | - Rosa Estrada
- Department of Animal Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Javier Lucientes
- Department of Animal Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Miguel Á Miranda
- Applied Zoology and Animal Conservation Research Group, Department of Biology, University of the Balearic Islands (UIB), Ctra. Valldemossa Km 7.5, 07122 Palma de Mallorca, Spain
| | - Bethan V Purse
- UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Oxfordshire OX10 8BB, UK
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Ledda S, Foxi C, Puggioni G, Bechere R, Rocchigiani AM, Scivoli R, Coradduzza E, Cau S, Vento L, Satta G. Experimental infection of Aedes (Stegomyia) albopictus and Culex pipiens mosquitoes with Bluetongue virus. MEDICAL AND VETERINARY ENTOMOLOGY 2023; 37:105-110. [PMID: 36193883 DOI: 10.1111/mve.12613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2022] [Accepted: 09/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Bluetongue disease (BT), caused by Bluetongue virus (BTV), infects wild and domestic ruminants, causing severe economic damage in the cattle and sheep industry. Proven vectors of BTV are biting midges belonging to the Culicoides genus, but other arthropods are considered potential vectors, such as ticks, mosquitoes, wingless flies, and sand flies. The present study represents the first attempt to evaluate the vectorial capacity of Culex pipiens and Aedes albopictus for BTV. Mosquitoes were artificially fed with blood containing BTV serotype 1. Infection, dissemination and transmission rates were evaluated at 0, 3, 7, 14 and 21 days after an infected blood meal. Viral RNA was only detected up to 3 days post infection in the bodies of both species. This study indicates that the two Italian populations of Cx. pipiens and Ae. albopictus are not susceptible to BTV infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Salvatore Ledda
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sardegna, Sassari, Italy
| | - Cipriano Foxi
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sardegna, Sassari, Italy
- Mediterranean Center for Disease Control, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy
| | | | - Roberto Bechere
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sardegna, Sassari, Italy
| | | | - Rosario Scivoli
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sardegna, Sassari, Italy
| | | | - Simona Cau
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sardegna, Sassari, Italy
| | - Luigi Vento
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sardegna, Sassari, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Satta
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sardegna, Sassari, Italy
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Fujisawa Y, Kornmatitsuk K, Kornmatitsuk S, Kornmatitsuk B. Field evaluation of newly developed 3D-printed ultraviolet and green light-emitting diode traps for the collection of Culicoides species in Thailand. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0280673. [PMID: 36662802 PMCID: PMC9858794 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0280673] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2021] [Accepted: 01/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Culcioides biting midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) are vectors of various veterinary pathogens. Suction light traps are one of the most widely used tools for vector surveillance. The present aim was to compare the efficiency for the collection of Culicoides species between newly developed 3D-printed ultraviolet (Mahidol University (MU) UV LED) and green light-emitting diode (Mahidol University (MU) Green LED) traps baited with CO2 and UV LED Center for Disease Control (CDC) light trap (BioQuip 2770) baited with CO2. The experiment consisted of two replicates of a 3 × 3 Latin square design in each three sampling locations (Location 1, 2, 3 and 4, 5, 6), for 12 nights between 26th July and 7th August 2020 in Thailand. Results showed that efficiency of the MU UV LED light trap was equivalent to that of the BioQuip 2770 trap for the collection of Culicoides. Meanwhile, the efficiency of the MU Green LED light trap was lower than that of both UV LED light traps. In the analysis of Culicoides species composition and sex-age grading, a similar pattern was observed among three light traps except for Culicoides actoni Smith. The newly developed 3D-printed UV LED light trap demonstrated the following advantages over the commercial light trap: cost saving to obtain multiple units, ease of customization and standardization, and increased availability by end-users. Although further assessments in different environmental conditions are needed, this 3D-printed light trap design could minimize the constrains in vector surveillance programs worldwide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuki Fujisawa
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Mahidol University, Salaya, Phutthamonthon, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand
| | - Kandit Kornmatitsuk
- Chulalongkorn University Demonstration Secondary School, Faculty of Education, Chulalongkorn University, Pathum Wan, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Sudsaijai Kornmatitsuk
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Mahidol University, Salaya, Phutthamonthon, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand
| | - Bunlue Kornmatitsuk
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Mahidol University, Salaya, Phutthamonthon, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand
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9
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Daif S, El Berbri I, Lhor Y, Fassi Fihri O. Serological and molecular prevalence study of bluetongue virus in small domestic ruminants in Morocco. Sci Rep 2022; 12:19448. [PMID: 36376352 PMCID: PMC9663439 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-24067-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2022] [Accepted: 11/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Bluetongue is an arthropod-borne viral disease transmitted by Culicoides biting midges, affecting domestic and wild ruminants. The current study aims to assess the seroprevalence of the bluetongue virus (BTV) and confirm its active circulation among sheep and goats populations in Morocco, as well as study the risk factors associated with BTV infection. To this end, a total of 1651 samples were randomly collected from 1376 sheep and 275 goats in eight (out of 12) regions of the country between March 2018 and July 2021.These samples were primarily tested using competitive ELISA (c-ELISA). Subsequently, 65% of c-ELISA positives (n = 452) were analyzed by real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). The results revealed an overall BTV seroprevalence in small ruminants in Morocco of 41.7%, including 42.6% in sheep and 37.5% in goats. The RT-qPCR results showed that the overall BTV viropositivity rate was 46.7%, including 48.1% in sheep and 41.8% in goats. These viro-serological rates varied significantly by age, sex, and breed of the tested animals, husbandry method, season, and geographic origin. This indicates that these parameters constitute risk factors for BTV transmission routes in Morocco. The findings also indicate that goats play a role as reservoirs in maintaining the BTV in Morocco. It appears from this study that bluetongue is endemic in Morocco. The environmental and climate conditions as well as the husbandry methods adopted in the country are particularly favorable for the virus transmission throughout the country.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soukaina Daif
- Microbiology, Immunology, and Infectious Diseases Unit, Department of Pathology and Veterinary Public Health, Institut Agronomique et Vétérinaire Hassan II, Rabat-Instituts, BP: 6202, Rabat, Morocco
| | - Ikhlass El Berbri
- Microbiology, Immunology, and Infectious Diseases Unit, Department of Pathology and Veterinary Public Health, Institut Agronomique et Vétérinaire Hassan II, Rabat-Instituts, BP: 6202, Rabat, Morocco
| | - Youssef Lhor
- grid.31143.340000 0001 2168 4024National Office of Food Safety (ONSSA), Rabat-Instituts, BP: 6202, Rabat, Morocco
| | - Ouafaa Fassi Fihri
- Microbiology, Immunology, and Infectious Diseases Unit, Department of Pathology and Veterinary Public Health, Institut Agronomique et Vétérinaire Hassan II, Rabat-Instituts, BP: 6202, Rabat, Morocco
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10
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Selim A, Alsubki RA, Albohairy FM, Attia KA, Kimiko I. A survey of bluetongue infection in one-humped camels (Camelus Dromedarius); seroprevalence and risk factors analysis. BMC Vet Res 2022; 18:322. [PMID: 35996137 PMCID: PMC9394030 DOI: 10.1186/s12917-022-03421-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2022] [Accepted: 08/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Bluetongue (BT) is an insect-borne, non-contagious viral disease which affects domestic ruminants including camels and is transmitted by Culicoides spp. Clinical symptoms of BT are typically seen in sheep, although subclinical BT infections are mostly seen in cattle, goats, and camelids. The goal of the present study was to evaluate the sero-prevalence of Bluetongue virus (BTV) in camels from some governorates in Egypt's southern and northern regions, as well as the infection's potential risk factors. During 2020-2021, a cross sectional study was conducted to screen presence of anti-BTV antibodies in 400 serum samples, which were collected randomly from camels, examined using competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (cELISA). The sera of 102 out of 400 camels tested positive for BTV, representing a frequency of 25.5%. Moreover, the odds of sero-positivity were higher among camels living in Aswan (OR = 5.33, 95%CI: 2.35-12.11), especially in females (OR = 2.63, 95%CI = 1.44-4.09) during summer season (OR = 2.40, 95%CI = 1.20-4.81). Furthermore, the probability of getting BTV infection increased when camels were exposed to the insect vectors (OR = 1.63, 95%CI = 0.87-3.09). The high prevalence of BTV in camels in several Egyptian regions highlights the need for more epidemiological investigations of BTV infection in other ruminant species in order to better control BT disease in these regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdelfattah Selim
- Department of Animal Medicine (Infectious Diseases), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Benha University, Toukh, 13736, Egypt.
| | - Roua A Alsubki
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Science, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud University, , P.O. Box 2455, Riyadh, 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Fatima M Albohairy
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Science, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud University, , P.O. Box 2455, Riyadh, 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Kotb A Attia
- Department of Biochemistry, College of Science, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2455, Riyadh, 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Itoh Kimiko
- Institute of Science and Technology, Niigata University, Ikarashi-2, Nishi-ku, Niigata, 950-2181, Japan
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11
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Fetene E, Teka G, Dejene H, Mandefro D, Teshome T, Temesgen D, Negussie H, Mulatu T, Jaleta MB, Leta S. Modeling the spatial distribution of Culicoides species (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) as vectors of animal diseases in Ethiopia. Sci Rep 2022; 12:12904. [PMID: 35902616 PMCID: PMC9334590 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-16911-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Culicoides biting midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) are the major vectors of bluetongue, Schmallenberg, and African horse sickness viruses. This study was conducted to survey Culicoides species in different parts of Ethiopia and to develop habitat suitability for the major Culicoides species in Ethiopia. Culicoides traps were set in different parts of the country from December 2018 to April 2021 using UV light Onderstepoort traps and the collected Culicoides were sorted to species level. To develop the species distribution model for the two predominant Culicoides species, namely Culicoides imicola and C. kingi, an ensemble modeling technique was used with the Biomod2 package of R software. KAPPA True skill statistics (TSS) and ROC curve were used to evaluate the accuracy of species distribution models. In the ensemble modeling, models which score TSS values greater than 0.8 were considered. Negative binomialregression models were used to evaluate the relationship between C. imicola and C. kingi catch and various environmental and climatic factors. During the study period, a total of 9148 Culicoides were collected from 66 trapping sites. Of the total 9148, 8576 of them belongs to seven species and the remaining 572 Culicoides were unidentified. The predominant species was C. imicola (52.8%), followed by C. kingi (23.6%). The abundance of these two species was highly influenced by the agro-ecological zone of the capture sites and the proximity of the capture sites to livestock farms. Climatic variables such as mean annual minimum and maximum temperature and mean annual rainfall were found to influence the catch of C. imicola at the different study sites. The ensemble model performed very well for both species with KAPPA (0.9), TSS (0.98), and ROC (0.999) for C. imicola and KAPPA (0.889), TSS (0.999), and ROC (0.999) for C. kingi. Culicoides imicola has a larger suitability range compared to C. kingi. The Great Rift Valley in Ethiopia, the southern and eastern parts of the country, and the areas along the Blue Nile and Lake Tana basins in northern Ethiopia were particularly suitable for C. imicola. High suitability for C. kingi was found in central Ethiopia and the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Region (SNNPR). The habitat suitability model developed here could help researchers better understand where the above vector-borne diseases are likely to occur and target surveillance to high-risk areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eyerusalem Fetene
- College of Veterinary Medicine and Agriculture, Addis Ababa University, P. O. Box 34, Bishoftu, Ethiopia
| | - Getachew Teka
- College of Veterinary Medicine and Agriculture, Addis Ababa University, P. O. Box 34, Bishoftu, Ethiopia
| | - Hana Dejene
- College of Veterinary Medicine and Agriculture, Addis Ababa University, P. O. Box 34, Bishoftu, Ethiopia.,Faculty of Agriculture and Veterinary Science, Ambo University, P.O. Box 19, Ambo, Ethiopia
| | - Deresegn Mandefro
- College of Veterinary Medicine and Agriculture, Addis Ababa University, P. O. Box 34, Bishoftu, Ethiopia
| | - Tsedale Teshome
- College of Veterinary Medicine and Agriculture, Addis Ababa University, P. O. Box 34, Bishoftu, Ethiopia
| | - Dawit Temesgen
- College of Veterinary Medicine and Agriculture, Addis Ababa University, P. O. Box 34, Bishoftu, Ethiopia
| | - Haileleul Negussie
- College of Veterinary Medicine and Agriculture, Addis Ababa University, P. O. Box 34, Bishoftu, Ethiopia
| | - Tesfaye Mulatu
- National Animal Health Diagnostic and Investigation Centre (NAHDIC), P. O. Box 4, Sebeta, Ethiopia
| | - Megarsa Bedasa Jaleta
- College of Veterinary Medicine and Agriculture, Addis Ababa University, P. O. Box 34, Bishoftu, Ethiopia
| | - Samson Leta
- College of Veterinary Medicine and Agriculture, Addis Ababa University, P. O. Box 34, Bishoftu, Ethiopia.
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12
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Kadjoudj N, Bounamous A, Kouba Y, Dik B, Zeroual S, Amira A, Chenchouni H. Composition and diversity of Culicoides biting midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) in rural and suburban environments of Algeria. Acta Trop 2022; 234:106588. [PMID: 35803337 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2022.106588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2022] [Revised: 07/01/2022] [Accepted: 07/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Abstract
Culicoides biting midges are well known biological vectors of several arboviruses causing more than 100 veterinary and medical diseases worldwide. In Algeria, bluetongue virus, which is transmitted by Culicoides midges, is responsible for one of the most critical insect-borne diseases of sheep. For example, this disease caused clinically severe morbidity of about 2,661 confirmed cases out of 21,175 susceptible sheep in Algeria. This study compared the abundance, richness, and diversity of Culicoides species in rural and suburban environments of semi-arid regions in North Africa. It examined the potential influence of the bio-climatic factors on the variation of population sizes and the elevation distribution of biting midges. Specimen collection was carried out from June to September during two successive years (2018 and 2019) using CDC light traps installed at 15 sites in different environments. Culicoides specimens were dissected, slide-mounted, and morphologically identified using the interactive identification key IIKC and various standard morphological criteria. A total of 1,046 Culicoides specimens (1,024 females and 22 males) were trapped and classified into 22 species, belonged to nine distinct subgenera. Two new species records for Algeria and even North Africa are reported: Culicoides albicans (Winnertz, 1852) and Culicoides nubeculosus (Meigen, 1830). Culicoides newsteadi Austen, 1921 (51.6%) was the dominant species, and it was followed by Culicoides punctatus (Meigen, 1804) (16.3%) and Culicoides odiatus Austen, 1921 (11.5%). These three species, comprising 80% of the collected Culicoides, were the most abundant both outside and inside livestock stables in rural and suburban environments. Species diversity was similar in the two settings, with a slight increase in suburban environments. None of the Culicoides species encountered correlated significantly with the climatic factors (mean temperature, precipitation, and relative humidity). Elevation was the most determinant environmental parameter that affected the abundance and distribution of Culicoides midges in the semi-arid and sub-humid areas studied. The maximum distribution of Culicoides species was detected at mid elevations (400‒800 m). Using a modeling approach, we explored for the first time the variation of composition and diversity in Culicoides communities within different climatic regions, environments and livestock settings in Algeria. This survey deepens our understanding of the relationships among environmental factors, abundance, diversity, and geographic distribution of Culicoides. This is a crucial step to assess the epidemiological situation of the diseases transmitted by these biting midges and to allow mitigation of the associated risks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadia Kadjoudj
- Laboratory of Natural Sciences and Materials, Institute of Science and Technology, University Center A. Boussouf of Mila, Mila 43000, Algeria
| | - Azzedine Bounamous
- Laboratory of Natural Sciences and Materials, Institute of Science and Technology, University Center A. Boussouf of Mila, Mila 43000, Algeria
| | - Yacine Kouba
- Department of Geography and Spatial Planning, Larbi Ben Mhidi University, 04000, Algeria
| | - Bilal Dik
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Selçuk University, Konya 42250, Turkey
| | - Samir Zeroual
- Laboratory of Genetics, biotechnology and valorization of bio-resources, University Mohamed Khider, Biskra, Algeria
| | - Aicha Amira
- Laboratory of Natural Sciences and Materials, Institute of Science and Technology, University Center A. Boussouf of Mila, Mila 43000, Algeria
| | - Haroun Chenchouni
- Department of Forest Management, Higher National School of Forests, Khenchela 40000, Algeria; Laboratory of Natural Resources and Management of Sensitive Environments 'RNAMS', Larbi Ben Mhidi University, Oum-El-Bouaghi 04000, Algeria.
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13
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Konstantinidis K, Bampali M, de Courcy Williams M, Dovrolis N, Gatzidou E, Papazilakis P, Nearchou A, Veletza S, Karakasiliotis I. Dissecting the Species-Specific Virome in Culicoides of Thrace. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:802577. [PMID: 35330767 PMCID: PMC8940260 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.802577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2021] [Accepted: 01/31/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Biting midges (Culicoides) are vectors of arboviruses of both veterinary and medical importance. The surge of emerging and reemerging vector-borne diseases and their expansion in geographical areas affected by climate change has increased the importance of understanding their capacity to contribute to novel and emerging infectious diseases. The study of Culicoides virome is the first step in the assessment of this potential. In this study, we analyzed the RNA virome of 10 Culicoides species within the geographical area of Thrace in the southeastern part of Europe, a crossing point between Asia and Europe and important path of various arboviruses, utilizing the Ion Torrent next-generation sequencing (NGS) platform and a custom bioinformatics pipeline based on TRINITY assembler and alignment algorithms. The analysis of the RNA virome of 10 Culicoides species resulted in the identification of the genomic signatures of 14 novel RNA viruses, including three fully assembled viruses and four segmented viruses with at least one segment fully assembled, most of which were significantly divergent from previously identified related viruses from the Solemoviridae, Phasmaviridae, Phenuiviridae, Reoviridae, Chuviridae, Partitiviridae, Orthomyxoviridae, Rhabdoviridae, and Flaviviridae families. Each Culicoides species carried a species-specific set of viruses, some of which are related to viruses from other insect vectors in the same area, contributing to the idea of a virus-carrier web within the ecosystem. The identified viruses not only expand our current knowledge on the virome of Culicoides but also set the basis of the genetic diversity of such viruses in the area of southeastern Europe. Furthermore, our study highlights that such metagenomic approaches should include as many species as possible of the local virus-carrier web that interact and share the virome of a geographical area.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Maria Bampali
- Department of Medicine, Laboratory of Biology, Democritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupolis, Greece
| | | | - Nikolas Dovrolis
- Department of Medicine, Laboratory of Biology, Democritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupolis, Greece
| | - Elisavet Gatzidou
- Department of Medicine, Laboratory of Biology, Democritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupolis, Greece
| | | | | | - Stavroula Veletza
- Department of Medicine, Laboratory of Biology, Democritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupolis, Greece
| | - Ioannis Karakasiliotis
- Department of Medicine, Laboratory of Biology, Democritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupolis, Greece
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14
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Kopanke J, Carpenter M, Lee J, Reed K, Rodgers C, Burton M, Lovett K, Westrich JA, McNulty E, McDermott E, Barbera C, Cavany S, Rohr JR, Perkins TA, Mathiason CK, Stenglein M, Mayo C. Bluetongue Research at a Crossroads: Modern Genomics Tools Can Pave the Way to New Insights. Annu Rev Anim Biosci 2022; 10:303-324. [PMID: 35167317 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-animal-051721-023724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Bluetongue virus (BTV) is an arthropod-borne, segmented double-stranded RNA virus that can cause severe disease in both wild and domestic ruminants. BTV evolves via several key mechanisms, including the accumulation of mutations over time and the reassortment of genome segments.Additionally, BTV must maintain fitness in two disparate hosts, the insect vector and the ruminant. The specific features of viral adaptation in each host that permit host-switching are poorly characterized. Limited field studies and experimental work have alluded to the presence of these phenomena at work, but our understanding of the factors that drive or constrain BTV's genetic diversification remains incomplete. Current research leveraging novel approaches and whole genome sequencing applications promises to improve our understanding of BTV's evolution, ultimately contributing to the development of better predictive models and management strategies to reduce future impacts of bluetongue epizootics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Kopanke
- Office of the Campus Veterinarian, Washington State University, Spokane, Washington, USA;
| | - Molly Carpenter
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA; , , , , , , , , ,
| | - Justin Lee
- Genomic Sequencing Laboratory, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA;
| | - Kirsten Reed
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA; , , , , , , , , ,
| | - Case Rodgers
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA; , , , , , , , , ,
| | - Mollie Burton
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA; , , , , , , , , ,
| | - Kierra Lovett
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA; , , , , , , , , ,
| | - Joseph A Westrich
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA; , , , , , , , , ,
| | - Erin McNulty
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA; , , , , , , , , ,
| | - Emily McDermott
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA;
| | - Carly Barbera
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, USA; , , ,
| | - Sean Cavany
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, USA; , , ,
| | - Jason R Rohr
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, USA; , , ,
| | - T Alex Perkins
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, USA; , , ,
| | - Candace K Mathiason
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA; , , , , , , , , ,
| | - Mark Stenglein
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA; , , , , , , , , ,
| | - Christie Mayo
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA; , , , , , , , , ,
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15
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Mazumdar SM, Mazumdar A, Chattopadhyay S. First report of Culicoides associated with goat and sheep from Jharkhand, India. Biologia (Bratisl) 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s11756-022-01029-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
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16
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The Absence of Abdominal Pigmentation in Livestock Associated Culicoides following Artificial Blood Feeding and the Epidemiological Implication for Arbovirus Surveillance. Pathogens 2021; 10:pathogens10121571. [PMID: 34959526 PMCID: PMC8705276 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens10121571] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2021] [Revised: 11/25/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Culicoides midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae), the vectors of economically important arboviruses such as bluetongue virus and African horse sickness virus, are of global importance. In the absence of transovarial transmission, the parity rate of a Culicoides population provides imperative information regarding the risk of virus dispersal. Abdominal pigmentation, which develops after blood feeding and ovipositioning, is used as an indicator of parity in Culicoides. During oral susceptibility trials over the last three decades, a persistent proportion of blood engorged females did not develop pigment after incubation. The present study, combining a number of feeding trials and different artificial feeding methods, reports on this phenomenon, as observed in various South African and Italian Culicoides species and populations. The absence of pigmentation in artificial blood-fed females was found in at least 23 Culicoides species, including important vectors such as C. imicola, C. bolitinos, C. obsoletus, and C. scoticus. Viruses were repeatedly detected in these unpigmented females after incubation. Blood meal size seems to play a role and this phenomenon could be present in the field and requires consideration, especially regarding the detection of virus in apparent “nulliparous” females and the identification of overwintering mechanisms and seasonally free vector zones.
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Korkmaz C, Alten B, Erol U, Deniz A. Updated checklist of Culicoides Latreille (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) of Turkey with ten new records. JOURNAL OF VECTOR ECOLOGY : JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR VECTOR ECOLOGY 2021; 46:124-136. [PMID: 35230016 DOI: 10.52707/1081-1710-46.2.124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2021] [Accepted: 04/24/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
We investigated the Culicoides fauna in Turkey during the years 2016-2019 in the process of entomological surveillance for arboviral diseases. The entomological survey was conducted at 104 sampling stations in 51 provinces in Turkey during four consecutive years. There were approximately 450,000 specimens and 59 identified species collected during the surveillance. Ten species were newly recorded for Turkey: C. chiopterus, C. grisescens, C. paradoxalis, C. santonicus, C. poperinghensis, C. sergenti, C. tbilisicus, C. comosioculatus, C. haranti, and C. univittatus. Identification of C. chiopterus and C. grisescens was confirmed using species-specific PCR and DNA sequencing. With our recent findings, previous data were critically reviewed and updated, and the number of Culicoides species has been increased to 71 for Turkey. The presence of C. chiopterus has particular importance due to its potential vector status for bluetongue virus (BTV) and Schmallenberg virus (SBV). This study presents result of the first large-scale integrated faunistic survey on Culicoides species in Turkey.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cagla Korkmaz
- Veterinary Control Central Research Institute, Ankara, Turkey,
- Hacettepe University, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Bulent Alten
- Hacettepe University, Faculty of Science, Department of Biology, Ecology Division, VERG laboratories, Beytepe, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Ufuk Erol
- Sivas Cumhuriyet University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Parasitology, Sivas, Turkey
| | - Ahmet Deniz
- Veterinary Control Central Research Institute, Ankara, Turkey
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18
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Ríos-Tostado JJ, Castillo-Ureta H, Torres-Montoya EH, Torres-Avendaño JI, Olimón-Andalón V, Romero-Higareda CE, Silva-Hidalgo G, Zazueta-Moreno JM. Molecular Detection of Leishmania (L.) mexicana (Kinetoplastida: Trypanostomatidae) DNA in Culicoides furens (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) from an Area with Autochthonous Canine Leishmaniasis in Northwestern Mexico. Acta Parasitol 2021; 66:1055-1058. [PMID: 33554301 DOI: 10.1007/s11686-021-00335-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2020] [Accepted: 01/13/2021] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Mexico is considered endemic for Leishmania; recent reports indicate autochthonous human and canine leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania mexicana in Sinaloa state. Lutzomyia sand fly are the primary vector of the parasite, although no records of phlebotomine vectors of Leishmania exist from Sinaloa. Other hematophagous dipterans, like Culicoides, could represent possible vectors of Leishmania in absence of phlebotomines. The known distribution of Culicoides includes the southern portion of Sinaloa state, in northwestern Mexico, with records of Culicoides furens. However, no studies have demonstrated the presence of Leishmania in C. furens or its possible participation in the parasite's life cycle in Mexico. This study, therefore, sought to detect DNA of Leishmania in C. furens captured in an endemic area of autochthonous canine leishmaniasis in northwestern Mexico. METHODS Culicoides were captured with CDC light traps, identified morphologically, and organized in pools. DNA was extracted, and used to amplify the ribosomal ITS1 region of Leishmania. PCR products were digested with HaeIII endonuclease; the banding patterns obtained were compared to reference strains. RESULTS Leishmania mexicana DNA was detected in five out of nine pools (55%) of female C. furens. CONCLUSION This study offers the first evidence of L. mexicana DNA in C. furens, in an endemic area of canine leishmaniasis in northwestern Mexico, where no evidence exists of the presence of phlebotomine sand fly.
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19
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Kasičová Z, Schreiberová A, Kimáková A, Kočišová A. Blood meal analysis: host-feeding patterns of biting midges (Diptera, Ceratopogonidae, Culicoides Latreille) in Slovakia. Parasite 2021; 28:58. [PMID: 34283022 PMCID: PMC8336726 DOI: 10.1051/parasite/2021058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2021] [Accepted: 07/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Biting midges of the genus Culicoides are vectors of important pathogens affecting domestic and wild animals and have played a major role in the re-emergence of new outbreaks of bluetongue (BTV) and Schmallenberg (SBV) viruses in Europe. To determine vector-host specificity, trophic preference from blood meal analysis is of major importance in the surveillance of arthropod-borne diseases. Of 28,752 specimens collected, we identified 17 Culicoides species and investigated a total of 48 host sequences from the blood meals. Culicoides obsoletus/C. scoticus, C. dewulfi, C. pulicaris, C. lupicaris, C. punctatus, C. newsteadi, C. riethi, and C. furcillatus were found to feed on mammals (cattle, horses, and humans), birds (domestic chickens), small rodents (Apodemus flavicollis), and hares (Lepus europaeus). To our knowledge, this is the first study investigating trophic preferences of Culicoides spp. in Slovakia. This study demonstrated that Culicoides species are able to feed on domesticated host vertebrates as well as birds, rodents, and humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zuzana Kasičová
- Department of Epizootiology, Parasitology and Protection of One Health, University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy in Košice Komenského 73 041 81 Košice Slovak Republic
| | - Andrea Schreiberová
- Department of Epizootiology, Parasitology and Protection of One Health, University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy in Košice Komenského 73 041 81 Košice Slovak Republic
| | - Andrea Kimáková
- Department of Epizootiology, Parasitology and Protection of One Health, University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy in Košice Komenského 73 041 81 Košice Slovak Republic
| | - Alica Kočišová
- Department of Epizootiology, Parasitology and Protection of One Health, University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy in Košice Komenského 73 041 81 Košice Slovak Republic
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Kopanke J, Lee J, Stenglein M, Carpenter M, Cohnstaedt LW, Wilson WC, Mayo C. Exposure of Culicoides sonorensis to Enzootic Strains of Bluetongue Virus Demonstrates Temperature- and Virus-Specific Effects on Virogenesis. Viruses 2021; 13:v13061016. [PMID: 34071483 PMCID: PMC8228769 DOI: 10.3390/v13061016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2021] [Revised: 05/18/2021] [Accepted: 05/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Bluetongue virus (BTV) is a segmented RNA virus transmitted by Culicoides midges. Climatic factors, animal movement, vector species, and viral mutation and reassortment may all play a role in the occurrence of BTV outbreaks among susceptible ruminants. We used two enzootic strains of BTV (BTV-2 and BTV-10) to explore the potential for Culicoides sonorensis, a key North American vector, to be infected with these viruses, and identify the impact of temperature variations on virogenesis during infection. While BTV-10 replicated readily in C. sonorensis following an infectious blood meal, BTV-2 was less likely to result in productive infection at biologically relevant exposure levels. Moreover, when C. sonorensis were co-exposed to both viruses, we did not detect reassortment between the two viruses, despite previous in vitro findings indicating that BTV-2 and BTV-10 are able to reassort successfully. These results highlight that numerous factors, including vector species and exposure dose, may impact the in vivo replication of varying BTV strains, and underscore the complexities of BTV ecology in North America.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Kopanke
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA; (J.K.); (J.L.); (M.S.); (M.C.)
| | - Justin Lee
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA; (J.K.); (J.L.); (M.S.); (M.C.)
| | - Mark Stenglein
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA; (J.K.); (J.L.); (M.S.); (M.C.)
| | - Molly Carpenter
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA; (J.K.); (J.L.); (M.S.); (M.C.)
| | - Lee W. Cohnstaedt
- Arthropod-Borne Animal Diseases Research Unit, United States Department of Agriculture—Agricultural Research Service, Manhattan, KS 66502, USA;
| | - William C. Wilson
- National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF), United States Department of Agriculture—Agricultural Research Service, 1880 Kimball Ave, Suite 300 CGAHR, Manhattan, KS 66502, USA;
| | - Christie Mayo
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA; (J.K.); (J.L.); (M.S.); (M.C.)
- Correspondence:
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21
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Barceló C, Purse BV, Estrada R, Lucientes J, Miranda MÁ, Searle KR. Environmental Drivers of Adult Seasonality and Abundance of Biting Midges Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae), Bluetongue Vector Species in Spain. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2021; 58:350-364. [PMID: 32885822 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjaa160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Bluetongue is a viral disease affecting wild and domestic ruminants transmitted by several species of biting midges Culicoides Latreille. The phenology of these insects were analyzed in relation to potential environmental drivers. Data from 329 sites in Spain were analyzed using Bayesian Generalized Linear Mixed Model (GLMM) approaches. The effects of environmental factors on adult female seasonality were contrasted. Obsoletus complex species (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) were the most prevalent across sites, followed by Culicoides newsteadi Austen (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae). Activity of female Obsoletus complex species was longest in sites at low elevation, with warmer spring average temperatures and precipitation, as well as in sites with high abundance of cattle. The length of the Culicoides imicola Kieffer (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) female adult season was also longest in sites at low elevation with higher coverage of broad-leaved vegetation. Long adult seasons of C. newsteadi were found in sites with warmer autumns and higher precipitation, high abundance of sheep. Culicoides pulicaris (Linnaeus) (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) had longer adult periods in sites with a greater number of accumulated degree days over 10°C during winter. These results demonstrate the eco-climatic and seasonal differences among these four taxa in Spain, which may contribute to determining sites with suitable environmental circumstances for each particular species to inform assessments of the risk of Bluetongue virus outbreaks in this region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Barceló
- Applied Zoology and Animal Conservation Research Group, Department of Biology, University of the Balearic Islands (UIB), Ctra. Valldemossa Km 7.5, Palma de Mallorca, Spain
| | - Bethan V Purse
- Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom
| | - Rosa Estrada
- Department of Animal Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Javier Lucientes
- Department of Animal Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Miguel Á Miranda
- Applied Zoology and Animal Conservation Research Group, Department of Biology, University of the Balearic Islands (UIB), Ctra. Valldemossa Km 7.5, Palma de Mallorca, Spain
| | - Kate R Searle
- Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Bush Estate, Edinburgh, Scotland
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Rot A, Meiswinkel R, Fleker M, Blum SE, Behar A. Towards modernizing the taxonomy of Mediterranean Culicoides using classical morphology, mtDNA barcoding, and MALDI-TOF MS protein profiling. Acta Trop 2020; 211:105628. [PMID: 32659282 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2020.105628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2020] [Revised: 07/09/2020] [Accepted: 07/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Culicoides biting midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) are a highly successful group of small (1-3 mm) hematophagous flies, infamous for the role they play as biological vectors for numerous pathogens of veterinary significance. The principal aim of the national animal disease surveillance program of Israel is to be able to rapidly sort and identify live field-captured insects including Culicoides for arbovirus screening. In this exploratory study, three identification methods-classical morphology, DNA barcoding, and MALDI-TOF MS-were applied simultaneously to individuals of 10 Culicoides species that commonly attack livestock in Israel. The strengths and limitations of the three methods are compared and evaluated. In essence, the CO1 barcoding and MALDI-TOF MS results closely matched those of classical morphology. Furthermore, at a higher level and in strong accordance with recognized subgenera, the 10 species, in the reconstructed phylogenies, coalesced into multiple deeper-branched monophyletic clades. However, some discrepancies between the molecular and protein profiling results did occur and proved difficult to assess in terms of taxonomic significance. This difficulty underscores how tricky it is to establish clear species limits when methods involving borderline cutoff values and similarity indices are used as a taxonomic aid. An added shortcoming of the pluralistic triple-method approach is that a significant percentage of the species-level depositions in the GenBank and BOLD databases are misidentified, hindering structured comparison and interpretation of the morphological and molecular results obtained. Aspects of the unresolved taxonomy of various biting midge assemblages within the Mediterranean basin, including minor changes to the Israeli Culicoides checklist, are discussed in light of the methods applied. It is observed that the direct access that classical morphology provides to the external environment (or species niche) is indispensable to the full and correct interpretation (and application) of concomitant molecular and protein profiling results. The Culicoides taxonomy of the future ought to be fully integrative, during which the assimilation of modern methodological advances should strengthen-rather than undermine-the morphological foundations laid down during the 260-year Linnaean epoch.
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23
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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] [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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Hristescu D, Bărbuceanu F, Dascălu L, Nițescu C, Goffredo M, Santilli A, Quaglia M, Balenghien T, Predoi G. Species composition and relative abundance of the genus Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) in Romania. Parasit Vectors 2020; 13:393. [PMID: 32746908 PMCID: PMC7397577 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-020-04247-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2020] [Accepted: 07/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Culicoides biting midges are vectors involved in the biological transmission cycle of important animal diseases such as bluetongue and African horse sickness. In Romania, the first outbreaks of bluetongue were reported in 2014, leading to increased activities within the existing entomological surveillance network. The main goals of the surveillance activities were the establishment of the vector free period in relation to animal trade and the identification of Culicoides species involved in the transmission of the pathogen. This study was conducted on the composition and relative abundance of the species belonging to the genus Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) in certain regions of Romania and provided the opportunity to update the existing checklist of Culicoides species of this country. Methods The study was conducted in 33 of the 42 administrative units (counties), including a total of 659 catches, in 102 locations. The collections were carried out with UV blacklight suction traps (OVI type). The collected insects were preserved in 70% ethanol. Morphological insect identification was carried out using a stereomicroscope, according to established identification keys. In ten localities the relative abundance of the cryptic species of the Obsoletus complex was determined by multiplex PCR assay based on the ITS2 segment. The identification of the Culicoides chiopterus (Meigen) species by morphological examination was confirmed by PCR assay based on the ITS1 segment. Results Eleven species were identified using morphological and PCR tools. The rest of the individuals were separated into five taxa. The species of the Obsoletus complex (grouping Culicoides obsoletus (Meigen) and Culicoides scoticus Downes & Kettle) were the most abundant, accounting for 59% of the total number of captured Culicoides spp. Three of the identified species are mentioned, according to our knowledge, for the first time in Romania: Culicoides newsteadi Austen, Culicoides flavipulicaris Dzhafarov and Culicoides bysta Sarvašová, Kočisová, Candolfi & Mathieu. Conclusions Our study demonstrates that the Culicoides species most commonly cited as being involved in the transmission of arboviruses in Europe (i.e. bluetongue and Schmallenberg viruses) make up a high proportion of adult Culicoides trapped in Romania. ![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Doru Hristescu
- Institute for Diagnosis and Animal Health, Bucharest, Romania.
| | - Florica Bărbuceanu
- Institute for Diagnosis and Animal Health, Bucharest, Romania.,Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Bucharest, Romania
| | - Lenuța Dascălu
- Institute for Diagnosis and Animal Health, Bucharest, Romania
| | | | - Maria Goffredo
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e del Molise 'G. Caporale', Teramo, Italy
| | - Adriana Santilli
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e del Molise 'G. Caporale', Teramo, Italy
| | - Michela Quaglia
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e del Molise 'G. Caporale', Teramo, Italy
| | - Thomas Balenghien
- ASTRE, University of Montpellier, Cirad, INRA, Montpellier, France.,Cirad, UMR ASTRE, 10101, Rabat, Morocco.,Unité Parasitologie et maladies parasitaires, Institut Agronomique et Vétérinaire Hassan II, 10100, Rabat, Morocco
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Tomazatos A, Jöst H, Schulze J, Spînu M, Schmidt-Chanasit J, Cadar D, Lühken R. Blood-meal analysis of Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) reveals a broad host range and new species records for Romania. Parasit Vectors 2020; 13:79. [PMID: 32066493 PMCID: PMC7027113 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-020-3938-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2019] [Accepted: 02/03/2020] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Culicoides biting midges are potential vectors of different pathogens. However, especially for eastern Europe, there is a lack of knowledge on the host-feeding patterns of this vector group. Therefore, this study aimed to identify Culicoides spp. and their vertebrate hosts collected in a wetland ecosystem. METHODS Culicoides spp. were collected weekly from May to August 2017, using Biogents traps with UV light at four sites in the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve, Romania. Vectors and hosts were identified with a DNA barcoding approach. The mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 was used to identify Culicoides spp., while vertebrate hosts were determined targeting cytochrome b or 16S rRNA gene fragments. A maximum likelihood phylogenetic tree was constructed to verify the biting midge identity against other conspecific Palaearctic Culicoides species. A set of unfed midges was used for morphological confirmation of species identification using slide-mounted wings. RESULTS Barcoding allowed the species identification and detection of corresponding hosts for 1040 (82.3%) of the 1264 analysed specimens. Eight Culicoides spp. were identified with Culicoides griseidorsum, Culicoides puncticollis and Culicoides submaritimus as new species records for Romania. For 39 specimens no similar sequences were found in GenBank. This group of unknown Culicoides showed a divergence of 15.6-16.3% from the closest identified species and clustered in a monophyletic clade, i.e. a novel species or a species without reference sequences in molecular libraries. For all Culicoides spp., nine mammalian and 24 avian species were detected as hosts. With the exception of C. riethi (n = 12), at least one avian host was detected for all Culicoides spp., but this host group only dominated for Culicoides kibunensis and the unknown Culicoides sp.. The most common host group were mammals (n = 993, 87.6% of all identified blood sources) dominated by cattle (n = 817, 70.6%). CONCLUSIONS Most Culicoides spp. showed a broad host-feeding pattern making them potential bridge vectors. At the same time, new records of biting midge species for Romania, as well as a potentially unknown Culicoides species, highlight the lack of knowledge regarding the biting midge species and their genetic diversity in eastern Europe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandru Tomazatos
- WHO Collaborating Centre for Arbovirus and Hemorrhagic Fever Reference and Research, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Hanna Jöst
- WHO Collaborating Centre for Arbovirus and Hemorrhagic Fever Reference and Research, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Jonny Schulze
- WHO Collaborating Centre for Arbovirus and Hemorrhagic Fever Reference and Research, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Marina Spînu
- University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Jonas Schmidt-Chanasit
- WHO Collaborating Centre for Arbovirus and Hemorrhagic Fever Reference and Research, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany.,Faculty of Mathematics, Informatics and Natural Sciences, Universität Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Daniel Cadar
- WHO Collaborating Centre for Arbovirus and Hemorrhagic Fever Reference and Research, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Renke Lühken
- WHO Collaborating Centre for Arbovirus and Hemorrhagic Fever Reference and Research, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany. .,Faculty of Mathematics, Informatics and Natural Sciences, Universität Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany.
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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] [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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27
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Barceló C, Estrada R, Lucientes J, Miranda MA. A Mondrian matrix of seasonal patterns of Culicoides nulliparous and parous females at different latitudes in Spain. Res Vet Sci 2020; 129:154-163. [PMID: 32000016 DOI: 10.1016/j.rvsc.2020.01.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2019] [Revised: 01/17/2020] [Accepted: 01/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Insects from genus Culicoides (Diptera; Ceratopogonidae) transmit arboviruses such as Bluetongue virus (BTV); affecting wild and domestic ruminants. These insects are age graded for monitoring purposes in surveillance programs. Parous females (PF) are the only fraction of the entire population that could effectively transmit viruses in a subsequent blood meal. Data of the Spanish Entomosurveillance National Program from 2008 to 2010 were used to analyse the seasonal pattern of the nulliparous females (NF) and PF of the vector species Obsoletus complex, C. imicola, C. newsteadi and C. pulicaris. Latitude variation on the seasonal abundance patterns of PF was also analysed in trap sites spanning a North-South axis in mainland Spain. The weekly abundance of PF was always highest in summer. The peak of abundance mainly occurred between April and July except for C. imicola that was from September to November. The analysis of the latitudinal seasonal variation of PF in Spain showed that Northern provinces have absence of C. imicola while the Obsoletus species were more present in Northern areas. There were periods of the year were no individuals of any vector species were collected, which should be considered in order to calculate the Seasonally Vector-Free Period (SVFP). Culicoides newsteadi and C. pulicaris exhibited the highest population in Toledo, probably related to their inland preferences. These findings would be of interest for a better understanding of the periods of low and high risk of transmission of BTV in Spain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Barceló
- Applied zoology and animal conservation research group, Department of Biology, University of the Balearic Islands (UIB), Ctra. Valldemossa Km 7.5, 07122 Palma de Mallorca, Spain.
| | - Rosa Estrada
- Department of Animal Pathology, AgriFood Institute of Aragón (IA2), Veterinary Faculty, 50013 Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Javier Lucientes
- Department of Animal Pathology, AgriFood Institute of Aragón (IA2), Veterinary Faculty, 50013 Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Miguel A Miranda
- Applied zoology and animal conservation research group, Department of Biology, University of the Balearic Islands (UIB), Ctra. Valldemossa Km 7.5, 07122 Palma de Mallorca, Spain
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Behar A, Rot A, Lavon Y, Izhaki O, Gur N, Brenner J. Seasonal and spatial variation in Culicoides community structure and their potential role in transmitting Simbu serogroup viruses in Israel. Transbound Emerg Dis 2020; 67:1222-1230. [PMID: 31869493 DOI: 10.1111/tbed.13457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2019] [Revised: 11/19/2019] [Accepted: 12/10/2019] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Culicoides biting midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) are a successful group of small (1-3 mm) haematophagous flies, some species of which are biological vectors of veterinary arboviruses, such as bluetongue virus, epizootic haemorrhagic disease virus, African horse sickness virus and Simbu serogroup viruses. In this study, we examine seasonal and spatial effects on the presence and distribution of Culicoides communities associated with ruminant and equine farms in Israel, and their infection with Simbu serogroup viruses. Our results demonstrate that both the vectors and the viruses are widely spread in Israel, including regions that were previously considered Culicoides-free. Moreover, our results show that although seasonality affects infection with Simbu serogroup viruses, both viruses and potential vectors can be found year round, suggesting continuous circulation of Simbu serogroup viruses in Israeli livestock farms. Finally, this study provides novel and basic information on Simbu serogroup-infected Culicoides in Israel: it demonstrates that Sathuperi, Shuni and Peaton viruses were circulating in Israel in 2015-2017 as they were found in C. imicola and C. oxystoma, both potential vectors of these viruses, and supplies the first-ever genomic detection of Sathuperi in Israel. Consequently, the data emerging from this study are of importance in understanding the epidemiology of arboviruses in Israel and are of relevance to the potential spread and possible future outbreaks of different Simbu serogroup viruses within the Mediterranean region and Europe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adi Behar
- Division of Parasitology, Kimron Veterinary Institute, Beit Dagan, Israel
| | - Asael Rot
- Division of Parasitology, Kimron Veterinary Institute, Beit Dagan, Israel
| | - Yaniv Lavon
- Israel Cattle Breeders' Association, Caesarea, Israel
| | - Omer Izhaki
- Division of Parasitology, Kimron Veterinary Institute, Beit Dagan, Israel
| | - Nadav Gur
- Division of Parasitology, Kimron Veterinary Institute, Beit Dagan, Israel
| | - Jacob Brenner
- Division of Parasitology, Kimron Veterinary Institute, Beit Dagan, Israel
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Federici V, Goffredo M, Mancini G, Quaglia M, Santilli A, Di Nicola F, De Ascentis M, Cabras P, Volpicelli C, De Liberato C, Satta G, Federico G, Leone A, Pisciella M, Portanti O, Pizzurro F, Teodori L, Savini G. Vector Competence of Italian Populations of Culicoides for Some Bluetongue Virus Strains Responsible for Recent Northern African and European Outbreaks. Viruses 2019; 11:E941. [PMID: 31614799 PMCID: PMC6832517 DOI: 10.3390/v11100941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2019] [Revised: 10/08/2019] [Accepted: 10/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The distribution of Bluetongue virus (BTV) in Europe can be represented by two distinct and interconnected epidemiological systems (episystems), each characterized by different ecological characteristics and vector species. This study investigated the vector competence of Italian populations of Culicoides imicola and Culicoides obsoletus/scoticus to some representative BTV strains after artificial oral infection. The BTV strains were selected according to their ability to spread to one or both episystems and included BTV-4 ITA, responsible of the recent Italian and French BTV-4 outbreaks; the BTV-2 strain which caused the first BTV incursion in Italy, Corsica, and Balearic Islands; BTV-4 MOR, responsible for the epidemic in Morocco; and BTV-8, the strain which spread through Europe between 2006 and 2008. Blood-soaked cotton pledgets and Hemotek membrane feeder using Parafilm® membrane were used to artificially feed midges. For each population/strain, recovery rates (positive/tested heads) were evaluated using serogroup- and serotype-specific RT-PCR. The trial demonstrated that, except for the Abruzzo population of C. obsoletus/C. scoticus, which was refractory to BTV-4 MOR infection, all the investigated Culicoides populations are susceptible to the selected BTV strains and that, if prompt vaccination programs and restriction measures had not been implemented, BTV-2 and BTV-4 MOR could have spread all over Europe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Federici
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e del Molise 'G. Caporale', Via Campo Boario, 64100 Teramo, Italy.
| | - Maria Goffredo
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e del Molise 'G. Caporale', Via Campo Boario, 64100 Teramo, Italy.
| | - Giuseppe Mancini
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e del Molise 'G. Caporale', Via Campo Boario, 64100 Teramo, Italy.
| | - Michela Quaglia
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e del Molise 'G. Caporale', Via Campo Boario, 64100 Teramo, Italy.
| | - Adriana Santilli
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e del Molise 'G. Caporale', Via Campo Boario, 64100 Teramo, Italy.
| | - Francesca Di Nicola
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e del Molise 'G. Caporale', Via Campo Boario, 64100 Teramo, Italy.
| | - Matteo De Ascentis
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e del Molise 'G. Caporale', Via Campo Boario, 64100 Teramo, Italy.
| | - Pierangela Cabras
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sardegna, Via Duca degli Abruzzi 8, 07100 Sassari, Italy.
| | - Carmela Volpicelli
- Azienda Sanitaria Provinciale Crotone, Via M. Nicoletta, 88900 Crotone (KR), Italy.
| | - Claudio De Liberato
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Lazio e della Toscana, Via Appia Nuova 1411, 00178 Rome, Italy.
| | - Giuseppe Satta
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sardegna, Via Duca degli Abruzzi 8, 07100 Sassari, Italy.
| | - Giovanni Federico
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Mezzogiorno, Via Figurella, 89135 Catona (RC), Italy.
| | - Alessandra Leone
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e del Molise 'G. Caporale', Via Campo Boario, 64100 Teramo, Italy.
| | - Maura Pisciella
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e del Molise 'G. Caporale', Via Campo Boario, 64100 Teramo, Italy.
| | - Ottavio Portanti
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e del Molise 'G. Caporale', Via Campo Boario, 64100 Teramo, Italy.
| | - Federica Pizzurro
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e del Molise 'G. Caporale', Via Campo Boario, 64100 Teramo, Italy.
| | - Liana Teodori
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e del Molise 'G. Caporale', Via Campo Boario, 64100 Teramo, Italy.
| | - Giovanni Savini
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e del Molise 'G. Caporale', Via Campo Boario, 64100 Teramo, Italy.
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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] [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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Foxi C, Delrio G, Luciano P, Mannu R, Ruiu L. Comparative laboratory and field study of biorational insecticides for Culicoides biting midge management in larval developmental sites. Acta Trop 2019; 198:105097. [PMID: 31325415 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2019.105097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2019] [Revised: 07/16/2019] [Accepted: 07/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
An appropriate management strategy of bluetongue vectors should include larvicidal treatments in their larval development sites utilizing active substances with low environmental impact. A selection of biorational insecticides with potential against dipteran larvae was assayed in the laboratory against field collected Culicoides larvae including C. cataneii, C. circumscriptus, and C. imicola, determining their median lethal concentrations in water and mud/water substrate. The efficacy of formulations containing the insect growth regulators pyriproxyfen and cyromazine, the botanical insecticide azadirachtin, and the entomopathogenic bacteria Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis and Brevibacillus laterosporus, was also assessed in field conditions in a comparative study conducted in sheep farm larval development sites, including treatments with the organophosphate temephos. Significant larvicidal properties were associated with the various insecticides evaluated in the laboratory assays and in field trials, although with different levels of effectiveness. While temephos was confirmed to be an effective broad spectrum larvicidal substance, B. laterosporus appeared to be the most effective among entomopathogens, while insect growth regulators combined a good efficacy to a long-lasting residual effect in the field. Everything considered, the use of these biorational insecticides alone or in combination with larval habitat manipulation techniques appears to be a promising method to complement integrated biting midge management programs.
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32
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Updating the global occurrence of Culicoides imicola, a vector for emerging viral diseases. Sci Data 2019; 6:185. [PMID: 31570721 PMCID: PMC6768995 DOI: 10.1038/s41597-019-0197-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2019] [Accepted: 08/16/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Culicoides imicola is the main vector transmitting viruses causing animal diseases such as Bluetongue, African Horse Sickness, and Schmallenberg. It has become widely distributed, with reports from South Africa to southern Europe, and from western Africa to southern China. This study presents a global compendium of Culicoides imicola occurrence between 1943 and 2018, reflecting the most recently compiled and harmonized global dataset derived from peer-reviewed literature. The procedures used in producing the data, as well as the geo-coding methods, database management and technical validation procedures are described. The study provides an updated and comprehensive global database of C. imicola occurrence, consisting of 1 039 geo-coded records from 50 countries. The datasets can be used for risk mapping of the diseases transmitted by C. imicola as well as to develop the global habitat suitability for the vector.
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Bourquia M, Garros C, Rakotoarivony I, Gardès L, Huber K, Boukhari I, Delécolle JC, Baldet T, Mignotte A, Lhor Y, Khallaayoune K, Balenghien T. Update of the species checklist of Culicoides Latreille, 1809 biting midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) of Morocco. Parasit Vectors 2019; 12:459. [PMID: 31551074 PMCID: PMC6757417 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-019-3720-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2019] [Accepted: 09/14/2019] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Investigations of Culicoides fauna, including inventories, were carried out in Morocco at different periods after the country had faced major bluetongue and African horse sickness outbreaks. However, no comprehensive reference publication has provided a clear overview of the Culicoides species diversity. This study reviewed available data on Culicoides biting midge species in Morocco from 1968 to 2015 (published and grey literature in French and English) in order to revise the current checklist, in light of state of the art taxonomic and systematic knowledge, and confirmed the checklist with morphological and molecular identifications of specimens collected from the region of Rabat. Methods Literature related to Culicoides collections in Morocco was collated. Authors were contacted to obtain raw data and additional information for the collections. Fresh Culicoides material was collected and examined from two sites around Rabat, the capital of Morocco. Each collected individual was examined and morphologically identified, if possible, to the species level. In addition, molecular identification was performed to separate closely related species, to confirm difficult morphological identifications and to confirm new species records. Results A total of 6121 individuals of Culicoides spp. were collected and analyzed and at least 17 species were identified: C. cataneii/C. gejgelensis, C. circumscriptus, C. fagineus, C. festivipennis, C. imicola, C. jumineri, C. kingi, C. longipennis, C. montanus, C. newsteadi, C. obsoletus, C. paolae, C. parotti, C. puncticollis, C. sahariensis, C. scoticus and C. subfagineus. Seven species were confirmed using phylogenetic analyses. Two new species records for Morocco are reported: C. paolae and C. subfagineus. Conclusions The Moroccan fauna of Culicoides now includes 54 valid species. Further work would certainly increase this total, as one of the clades we identified was not affiliated to any described and valid species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Bourquia
- Institut Agronomique et Vétérinaire Hassan II, Unité Parasitologie et Maladies Parasitaires, 10100, Rabat, Morocco. .,ASTRE, Univ Montpellier, Cirad, INRA, Montpellier, France. .,Cirad, UMR ASTRE, 34398, Montpellier, France.
| | - Claire Garros
- ASTRE, Univ Montpellier, Cirad, INRA, Montpellier, France.,Cirad, UMR ASTRE, 97490, Ste Clotilde, La Réunion, France
| | - Ignace Rakotoarivony
- ASTRE, Univ Montpellier, Cirad, INRA, Montpellier, France.,Cirad, UMR ASTRE, 34398, Montpellier, France
| | - Laetitia Gardès
- ASTRE, Univ Montpellier, Cirad, INRA, Montpellier, France.,Cirad, UMR ASTRE, 97170, Petit-Bourg, Guadeloupe, France
| | - Karine Huber
- ASTRE, Univ Montpellier, Cirad, INRA, Montpellier, France
| | - Intissar Boukhari
- Institut Agronomique et Vétérinaire Hassan II, Unité Parasitologie et Maladies Parasitaires, 10100, Rabat, Morocco
| | - Jean-Claude Delécolle
- Institut de Parasitologie et de Pathologie Tropicale de Strasbourg (IPPTS) EA7292, 3 rue Koeberlé, 67000, Strasbourg, France
| | - Thierry Baldet
- ASTRE, Univ Montpellier, Cirad, INRA, Montpellier, France.,Cirad, UMR ASTRE, 34398, Montpellier, France
| | - Antoine Mignotte
- ASTRE, Univ Montpellier, Cirad, INRA, Montpellier, France.,Cirad, UMR ASTRE, 34398, Montpellier, France
| | - Youssef Lhor
- Office National de Sécurité Sanitaire des Produits Alimentaires, Institut Agronomique et Vétérinaire, 10015, Rabat, Morocco
| | - Khalid Khallaayoune
- Institut Agronomique et Vétérinaire Hassan II, Unité Parasitologie et Maladies Parasitaires, 10100, Rabat, Morocco
| | - Thomas Balenghien
- ASTRE, Univ Montpellier, Cirad, INRA, Montpellier, France. .,Cirad, UMR ASTRE, 34398, Montpellier, France. .,Institut Agronomique et Vétérinaire Hassan II, Unité Microbiologie, Immunologie et Maladies Contagieuses, 10100, Rabat, Morocco.
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Quantifying the potential for bluetongue virus transmission in Danish cattle farms. Sci Rep 2019; 9:13466. [PMID: 31530858 PMCID: PMC6749064 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-49866-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2019] [Accepted: 08/26/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
We used a mechanistic transmission model to estimate the number of infectious bites (IBs) generated per bluetongue virus (BTV) infected host (cattle) using estimated hourly microclimatic temperatures at 22,004 Danish cattle farms for the period 2000–2016, and Culicoides midge abundance based on 1,453 light-trap collections during 2007–2016. We used a range of published estimates of the duration of the hosts’ infectious period and equations for the relationship between temperature and four key transmission parameters: extrinsic incubation period, daily vector survival rate, daily vector biting rate and host-to-vector transmission rate resulting in 147,456 combinations of daily IBs. More than 82% combinations of the parameter values predicted > 1 IBs per host. The mean IBs (10–90th percentiles) for BTV per infectious host were 59 (0–73) during the transmission period. We estimated a maximum of 14,954 IBs per infectious host at some farms, while a best-case scenario suggested transmission was never possible at some farms. The use of different equations for the vector survival rate and host-to-vector transmission rates resulted in large uncertainty in the predictions. If BTV is introduced in Denmark, local transmission is very likely to occur. Vectors infected as late as mid-September (early autumn) can successfully transmit BTV to a new host until mid-November (late autumn).
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Möhlmann TWR, Bekendam AM, van Kemenade I, Wennergren U, Favia G, Takken W, Koenraadt CJM. Latitudinal diversity of biting midge species within the Obsoletus group across three habitats in Europe. MEDICAL AND VETERINARY ENTOMOLOGY 2019; 33:420-426. [PMID: 31033029 PMCID: PMC6849825 DOI: 10.1111/mve.12379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2018] [Revised: 03/11/2019] [Accepted: 03/21/2019] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Culicoides species from the Obsoletus group are important vectors of bluetongue and Schmallenberg virus. This group consists of several species that cannot easily be identified using morphological characteristics. Therefore, limited information is available about their distribution and habitat preferences. In this study, we aimed to elucidate the species composition of the Obsoletus group in three habitat types at climatically different latitudes across Europe. Traps were placed in three habitat types in three countries at different latitudes. After DNA extraction, biting midges were identified using PCR and gel electrophoresis. Extraction of DNA using Chelex proved to be a cost and time efficient method for species identification. A latitudinal effect on the relative abundance of species from the Obsoletus group was found. Species composition was unique for most country-habitat combinations. The majority of biting midges were either C. obsoletus s.s. or C. scoticus, and both species were found at all latitudes and habitats. Their wide distribution and their high abundance at livestock farms make these species likely candidates for rapid farm-to-farm transmission of pathogens throughout Europe. Our results emphasize the need to differentiate Obsoletus group species to better understand their ecology and contribution to pathogen transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- T. W. R. Möhlmann
- Laboratory of EntomologyWageningen University and ResearchWageningenThe Netherlands
- IFM Theory and ModellingLinköping UniversityLinköpingSweden
| | - A. M. Bekendam
- Laboratory of EntomologyWageningen University and ResearchWageningenThe Netherlands
| | - I. van Kemenade
- Laboratory of EntomologyWageningen University and ResearchWageningenThe Netherlands
| | - U. Wennergren
- IFM Theory and ModellingLinköping UniversityLinköpingSweden
| | - G. Favia
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary MedicineUniversity of CamerinoCamerinoItaly
| | - W. Takken
- Laboratory of EntomologyWageningen University and ResearchWageningenThe Netherlands
| | - C. J. M. Koenraadt
- Laboratory of EntomologyWageningen University and ResearchWageningenThe Netherlands
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36
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Bluetongue Virus in France: An Illustration of the European and Mediterranean Context since the 2000s. Viruses 2019; 11:v11070672. [PMID: 31340459 PMCID: PMC6669443 DOI: 10.3390/v11070672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2019] [Revised: 07/05/2019] [Accepted: 07/19/2019] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Bluetongue (BT) is a non-contagious animal disease transmitted by midges of the Culicoides genus. The etiological agent is the BT virus (BTV) that induces a variety of clinical signs in wild or domestic ruminants. BT is included in the notifiable diseases list of the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) due to its health impact on domestic ruminants. A total of 27 BTV serotypes have been described and additional serotypes have recently been identified. Since the 2000s, the distribution of BTV has changed in Europe and in the Mediterranean Basin, with continuous BTV incursions involving various BTV serotypes and strains. These BTV strains, depending on their origin, have emerged and spread through various routes in the Mediterranean Basin and/or in Europe. Consequently, control measures have been put in place in France to eradicate the virus or circumscribe its spread. These measures mainly consist of assessing virus movements and the vaccination of domestic ruminants. Many vaccination campaigns were first carried out in Europe using attenuated vaccines and, in a second period, using exclusively inactivated vaccines. This review focuses on the history of the various BTV strain incursions in France since the 2000s, describing strain characteristics, their origins, and the different routes of spread in Europe and/or in the Mediterranean Basin. The control measures implemented to address this disease are also discussed. Finally, we explain the circumstances leading to the change in the BTV status of France from BTV-free in 2000 to an enzootic status since 2018.
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Ansari M, Walker M, Dyson P. Fungi as Biocontrol Agents of Culicoides Biting Midges, the Putative Vectors of Bluetongue Disease. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2019; 19:395-399. [DOI: 10.1089/vbz.2018.2300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Minshad Ansari
- Institute of Life Science 1, College of Medicine, Swansea University, Swansea, United Kingdom
| | - Miranda Walker
- Institute of Life Science 1, College of Medicine, Swansea University, Swansea, United Kingdom
| | - Paul Dyson
- Institute of Life Science 1, College of Medicine, Swansea University, Swansea, United Kingdom
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Chanda MM, Carpenter S, Prasad G, Sedda L, Henrys PA, Gajendragad MR, Purse BV. Livestock host composition rather than land use or climate explains spatial patterns in bluetongue disease in South India. Sci Rep 2019; 9:4229. [PMID: 30862821 PMCID: PMC6414662 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-40450-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2018] [Accepted: 02/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Culicoides-borne arboviruses of livestock impair animal health, livestock production and livelihoods worldwide. As these arboviruses are multi-host, multi-vector systems, predictions to improve targeting of disease control measures require frameworks that quantify the relative impacts of multiple abiotic and biotic factors on disease patterns. We develop such a framework to predict long term (1992-2009) average patterns in bluetongue (BT), caused by bluetongue virus (BTV), in sheep in southern India, where annual BT outbreaks constrain the livelihoods and production of small-holder farmers. In Bayesian spatial general linear mixed models, host factors outperformed landscape and climate factors as predictors of disease patterns, with more BT outbreaks occurring on average in districts with higher densities of susceptible sheep breeds and buffalo. Since buffalo are resistant to clinical signs of BT, this finding suggests they are a source of infection for sympatric susceptible sheep populations. Sero-monitoring is required to understand the role of buffalo in maintaining BTV transmission and whether they must be included in vaccination programs to protect sheep adequately. Landscape factors, namely the coverage of post-flooding, irrigated and rain-fed croplands, had weak positive effects on outbreaks. The intimate links between livestock host, vector composition and agricultural practices in India require further investigation at the landscape scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- M M Chanda
- ICAR-National Institute of Veterinary Epidemiology and Disease Informatics, Bengaluru, India
| | - S Carpenter
- The Pirbright Institute, Ash Road, Woking, Surrey, GU24 0NF, UK
| | - G Prasad
- Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel University of Agriculture and Technology, NH 58, Roorkee Road, Modipuram, Meerut, 250110, India
| | - L Sedda
- Centre for Health Information, Computation and Statistics (CHICAS), Lancaster Medical School, Faculty of Health and Medicine, Furness Building, Lancaster University, Lancaster, LA1 4YG, UK
| | - P A Henrys
- Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Lancaster Environment Centre, Bailrigg, Lancaster, LA1 4AP, UK
| | - M R Gajendragad
- ICAR-National Institute of Veterinary Epidemiology and Disease Informatics, Bengaluru, India
| | - B V Purse
- Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Benson Lane, Crowmarsh Gifford, Oxfordshire, OX10 8BB, UK.
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Foxi C, Meloni G, Puggioni G, Manunta D, Rocchigiani A, Vento L, Cabras P, Satta G. Bluetongue virus detection in new Culicoides species in Sardinia, Italy. Vet Rec 2019; 184:621. [PMID: 30846613 DOI: 10.1136/vr.105118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2018] [Revised: 01/14/2019] [Accepted: 02/17/2019] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Bluetongue is an infectious disease transmitted by Culicoides biting midges. Culicoides imicola is considered the main vector in the Mediterranean basin but other species have been implicated in the Bluetongue virus (BTV) transmission. During 2017, BTV serotype 4 re-occurred in Sardinia causing outbreaks in sheep farms. A survey was carried out on affected farms with the aim to detect the virus in field-collected Culicoides Biting midges were morphologically identified, pooled and then assayed with a real time RT-PCR. To evaluate BTV dissemination, some Culicoides were dissected and head, thorax and abdomen were tested singly by PCR. A total of 173,738 Culicoides adults were collected. Viral RNA was detected in 68 out of 77 pools and all species analysed resulted positive. Detection of BTV in parous female body regions (head, thorax and abdomen) confirmed the full dissemination of BTV in all species analysed. During this study, the vector competence of C imicola, C newsteadi s.l. and Obsoletus complex was confirmed. The authors found two new Culicoides species BTV positive, C paolae never associated with BTV transmission and C circumscriptus only recently found BTV positive in Turkey, which could be considered potential vectors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cipriano Foxi
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sardegna G Pegreffi, Animal Health, Sassari, Italy
| | - Giorgio Meloni
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sardegna G Pegreffi, Animal Health, Sassari, Italy
| | - Giantonella Puggioni
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sardegna G Pegreffi, Animal Health, Sassari, Italy
| | - Daniela Manunta
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sardegna G Pegreffi, Animal Health, Sassari, Italy
| | - Angelamaria Rocchigiani
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sardegna G Pegreffi, Animal Health, Sassari, Italy
| | - Luigi Vento
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sardegna G Pegreffi, Animal Health, Sassari, Italy
| | - Pierangela Cabras
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sardegna G Pegreffi, Animal Health, Sassari, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Satta
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sardegna G Pegreffi, Animal Health, Sassari, Italy
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Paslaru AI, Mathis A, Torgerson P, Veronesi E. Vector competence of pre-alpine Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) for bluetongue virus serotypes 1, 4 and 8. Parasit Vectors 2018; 11:466. [PMID: 30103803 PMCID: PMC6090685 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-018-3050-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2018] [Accepted: 08/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Bluetongue disease, caused by bluetongue virus serotype 8 (BTV-8), appeared for the first time in the northern part of Europe in 2006, and subsequently rapidly spread causing severe economic losses to the farming industry. The implicated vectors of BTV in Europe are Culicoides species within the subgenus Avaritia (C. chiopterus, C. dewulfi, C. obsoletus and C. scoticus). Epidemiological data from Switzerland have shown that BTV, whose spread was eliminated at an early stage by vaccination campaigns, had not been circulating among livestock at higher altitudes where other species dominate the Culicoides fauna. In this study, we investigated the extent that Culicoides spp. prevailing at higher altitudes (mainly C. grisescens) can act as vectors for BTV. Methods Culicoides were collected at farms in the pre-alpine region (two sites at 1550 m above sea level, masl, referred to as pre-alpine I; one site at 2030 masl, pre-alpine II) and, for comparative purposes, from the Swiss Plateau (one site, 650 masl). They were fed on bovine blood/BTV suspensions (BTV-1, 4 or 8) and incubated for eight days under a fluctuating temperature regime (13–25 °C, mean 19 °C), reflecting a mid-summer warm spell in the pre-alpine region. Susceptibility to BTV transmission was assessed from head homogenates by RT-qPCR and virus isolation. Results Overall, 9196 female Culicoides were exposed to the three BTV strains through an artificial membrane, with feeding rates of 14–27%. Survival rates of blood-engorged Culicoides females at eight days post-infection depended on both virus serotype and altitude of origin. Virus dissemination (Cq ≤ the cut-off value as determined by serial virus dilutions) was confirmed only for BTV-1 in C. scoticus (dissemination efficiency 22.5%; 9/40) and C. obsoletus (5.6%; 1/18) from the Swiss Plateau area. There was no strong evidence of susceptibility to infection for Culicoides from the pre-alpine area when fed with all BTV strains (BTV-1, 4 and 8). Conclusions This study confirms the susceptibility of C. scoticus and C. obsoletus to BTV-1 infection, including under cooler temperatures. Culicoides grisescens, which is highly abundant at higher altitudes, cannot be considered a potential vector under these temperature conditions. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13071-018-3050-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anca Ioana Paslaru
- National Centre for Vector Entomology, Institute of Parasitology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Alexander Mathis
- National Centre for Vector Entomology, Institute of Parasitology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Paul Torgerson
- Section of Epidemiology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Eva Veronesi
- National Centre for Vector Entomology, Institute of Parasitology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland.
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Cappai S, Loi F, Coccollone A, Contu M, Capece P, Fiori M, Canu S, Foxi C, Rolesu S. Retrospective analysis of Bluetongue farm risk profile definition, based on biology, farm management practices and climatic data. Prev Vet Med 2018; 155:75-85. [PMID: 29786527 DOI: 10.1016/j.prevetmed.2018.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2018] [Revised: 03/16/2018] [Accepted: 04/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Bluetongue (BT) is a vector-borne disease transmitted by species of Culicoides midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae). Many studies have contributed to clarifying various aspects of its aetiology, epidemiology and vector dynamic; however, BT remains a disease of epidemiological and economic importance that affects ruminants worldwide. Since 2000, the Sardinia region has been the most affected area of the Mediterranean basin. The region is characterised by wide pastoral areas for sheep and represents the most likely candidate region for the study of Bluetongue virus (BTV) distribution and prevalence in Italy. Furthermore, specific information on the farm level and epidemiological studies needs to be provided to increase the knowledge on the disease's spread and to provide valid mitigation strategies in Sardinia. This study conducted a punctual investigation into the spatial patterns of BTV transmission to define a risk profile for all Sardinian farmsby using a logistic multilevel mixed model that take into account agro-meteorological aspects, as well as farm characteristics and management. Data about animal density (i.e. sheep, goats and cattle), vaccination, previous outbreaks, altitude, land use, rainfall, evapotranspiration, water surface, and farm management practices (i.e. use of repellents, treatment against insect vectors, storage of animals in shelter overnight, cleaning, presence of mud and manure) were collected for 12,277 farms for the years 2011-2015. The logistic multilevel mixed model showed the fundamental role of climatic factors in disease development and the protective role of good management, vaccination, outbreak in the previous year and altitude. Regional BTV risk maps were developed, based on the predictor values of logistic model results, and updated every 10 days. These maps were used to identify, 20 days in advance, the areas at highest risk. The risk farm profile, as defined by the model, would provide specific information about the role of each factor for all Sardinian institutions involved in devising BT prevention and control strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Cappai
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sardegna "G. Pegreffi" - Centro di Sorveglianza Epidemiologica, Via XX Settembre n°9, 09125, Cagliari, CA, Italy
| | - Federica Loi
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sardegna "G. Pegreffi" - Centro di Sorveglianza Epidemiologica, Via XX Settembre n°9, 09125, Cagliari, CA, Italy.
| | - Annamaria Coccollone
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sardegna "G. Pegreffi" - Centro di Sorveglianza Epidemiologica, Via XX Settembre n°9, 09125, Cagliari, CA, Italy
| | - Marino Contu
- ARA-Sardegna, Associazione Regionale Allevatori della Sardegna, Via Cavalcanti 8, 09128, Cagliari, CA, Italy
| | - Paolo Capece
- ARPAS, Agenzia Regionale per la Protezione dell'Ambiente della Sardegna, Dipartimento Meteoclimatico, V.le Porto Torres 119, 07100, Sassari, SS, Italy
| | - Michele Fiori
- ARPAS, Agenzia Regionale per la Protezione dell'Ambiente della Sardegna, Dipartimento Meteoclimatico, V.le Porto Torres 119, 07100, Sassari, SS, Italy
| | - Simona Canu
- ARPAS, Agenzia Regionale per la Protezione dell'Ambiente della Sardegna, Dipartimento Meteoclimatico, V.le Porto Torres 119, 07100, Sassari, SS, Italy
| | - Cipriano Foxi
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sardegna "G. Pegreffi"- Laboratorio di Entomologia e controllo dei vettori, Via Vienna 2, 07100, Sassari, SS, Italy
| | - Sandro Rolesu
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sardegna "G. Pegreffi" - Centro di Sorveglianza Epidemiologica, Via XX Settembre n°9, 09125, Cagliari, CA, Italy
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Ségard A, Gardès L, Jacquier E, Grillet C, Mathieu B, Rakotoarivony I, Setier-Rio ML, Chavernac D, Cêtre-Sossah C, Balenghien T, Garros C. Schmallenberg virus in Culicoides
Latreille (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) populations in France during 2011-2012 outbreak. Transbound Emerg Dis 2017; 65:e94-e103. [DOI: 10.1111/tbed.12686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2016] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- A. Ségard
- UMR ASTRE; CIRAD; Montpellier France
| | - L. Gardès
- UMR ASTRE; CIRAD; Montpellier France
| | | | | | - B. Mathieu
- IPPTS, DHPI EA 7292; Université de Strasbourg; Strasbourg France
| | | | | | | | - C. Cêtre-Sossah
- UMR ASTRE; CIRAD; Montpellier France
- UMR ASTRE; CIRAD; Sainte-Clotilde La Réunion France
| | - T. Balenghien
- UMR ASTRE; CIRAD; Montpellier France
- CIRAD; UMR ASTRE; Rabat Maroc
- Institut Agronomique et Vétérinaire Hassan II; Rabat Maroc
| | - C. Garros
- UMR ASTRE; CIRAD; Montpellier France
- UMR ASTRE; CIRAD; Sainte-Clotilde La Réunion France
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Benelli G, Buttazzoni L, Canale A, D'Andrea A, Del Serrone P, Delrio G, Foxi C, Mariani S, Savini G, Vadivalagan C, Murugan K, Toniolo C, Nicoletti M, Serafini M. Bluetongue outbreaks: Looking for effective control strategies against Culicoides vectors. Res Vet Sci 2017; 115:263-270. [PMID: 28577491 DOI: 10.1016/j.rvsc.2017.05.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2017] [Revised: 05/18/2017] [Accepted: 05/19/2017] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Several arthropod-borne diseases are now rising with increasing impact and risks for public health, due to environmental changes and resistance to pesticides currently marketed. In addition to community surveillance programs and a careful management of herds, a next-generation of effective products is urgently needed to control the spread of these diseases, with special reference to arboviral ones. Natural product research can afford alternative solutions. Recently, a re-emerging of bluetongue disease is ongoing in Italy. Bluetongue is a viral disease that affects ruminants and is spread through the bite of bloodsucking insects, especially Culicoides species. In this review, we focused on the importance of vector control programs for prevention or bluetongue outbreaks, outlining the lack of effective tools in the fight against Culicoides vectors. Then, we analyzed a field case study in Sardinia (Italy) concerning the utilization of the neem cake (Azadirachta indica), to control young instar populations of Culicoides biting midges, the vectors of bluetongue virus. Neem cake is a cheap and eco-friendly by-product obtained from the extraction of neem oil. Overall, we propose that the employ of neem extraction by-products as aqueous formulations in muddy sites close to livestock grazing areas may represent an effective tool in the fight against the spread of bluetongue virus in the Mediterranean areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanni Benelli
- Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Pisa, Via del Borghetto 80, 56124 Pisa, Italy.
| | - Luca Buttazzoni
- Consiglio per la Ricerca in Agricoltura e l'Analisi dell'Economia Agraria, CREA, Centro di Ricerca per la Zootecnia e l'Acquacoltura, CREA ZA, Sede di Monterotondo, Via Salaria 31, 00015 Monterotondo Rome, Italy
| | - Angelo Canale
- Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Pisa, Via del Borghetto 80, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Armando D'Andrea
- C. R. ENEA Casaccia, UTEE, Via Anguillarese 301, 00123, S. M. Galeria, Rome, Italy
| | - Paola Del Serrone
- Consiglio per la Ricerca in Agricoltura e l'Analisi dell'Economia Agraria, CREA, Centro di Ricerca per la Zootecnia e l'Acquacoltura, CREA ZA, Sede di Monterotondo, Via Salaria 31, 00015 Monterotondo Rome, Italy
| | - Gavino Delrio
- Dipartimento di Agraria, Sezione di Patologia Vegetale ed Entomologia, Università degli Studi di Sassari, Via Enrico de Nicola, 07100 Sassari, Italy
| | - Cipriano Foxi
- Dipartimento di Agraria, Sezione di Patologia Vegetale ed Entomologia, Università degli Studi di Sassari, Via Enrico de Nicola, 07100 Sassari, Italy
| | - Susanna Mariani
- C. R. ENEA Casaccia, UTEE, Via Anguillarese 301, 00123, S. M. Galeria, Rome, Italy
| | - Giovanni Savini
- Istituto Zooprofilattico dell'Abruzzo e del Molise "G. Caporale", Via Campo Boario, 64100 Teramo, Italy
| | - Chithravel Vadivalagan
- Division of Entomology, School of Life Sciences, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore 641046, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Kadarkarai Murugan
- Division of Entomology, School of Life Sciences, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore 641046, Tamil Nadu, India; Thiruvalluvar University (State University), Serkkadu, Vellore 632 115, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Chiara Toniolo
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Marcello Nicoletti
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Mauro Serafini
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
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White SM, Sanders CJ, Shortall CR, Purse BV. Mechanistic model for predicting the seasonal abundance of Culicoides biting midges and the impacts of insecticide control. Parasit Vectors 2017; 10:162. [PMID: 28347327 PMCID: PMC5369195 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-017-2097-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2016] [Accepted: 03/20/2017] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Understanding seasonal patterns of abundance of insect vectors is important for optimisation of control strategies of vector-borne diseases. Environmental drivers such as temperature, humidity and photoperiod influence vector abundance, but it is not generally known how these drivers combine to affect seasonal population dynamics. METHODS In this paper, we derive and analyse a novel mechanistic stage-structured simulation model for Culicoides biting midges-the principle vectors of bluetongue and Schmallenberg viruses which cause mortality and morbidity in livestock and impact trade. We model variable life-history traits as functional forms that are dependent on environmental drivers, including air temperature, soil temperature and photoperiod. The model is fitted to Obsoletus group adult suction-trap data sampled daily at five locations throughout the UK for 2008. RESULTS The model predicts population dynamics that closely resemble UK field observations, including the characteristic biannual peaks of adult abundance. Using the model, we then investigate the effects of insecticide control, showing that control strategies focussing on the autumn peak of adult midge abundance have the highest impact in terms of population reduction in the autumn and averaged over the year. Conversely, control during the spring peak of adult abundance leads to adverse increases in adult abundance in the autumn peak. CONCLUSIONS The mechanisms of the biannual peaks of adult abundance, which are important features of midge seasonality in northern Europe and are key determinants of the risk of establishment and spread of midge-borne diseases, have been hypothesised over for many years. Our model suggests that the peaks correspond to two generations per year (bivoltine) are largely determined by pre-adult development. Furthermore, control strategies should focus on reducing the autumn peak since the immature stages are released from density-dependence regulation. We conclude that more extensive modelling of Culicoides biting midge populations in different geographical contexts will help to optimise control strategies and predictions of disease outbreaks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven M White
- Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Benson Lane, Wallingford, Oxfordshire, OX10 8BB, UK. .,Wolfson Centre for Mathematical Biology, Mathematical Institute, Radcliffe Observatory Quarter, Woodstock Road, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX2 6GG, UK.
| | | | | | - Bethan V Purse
- Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Benson Lane, Wallingford, Oxfordshire, OX10 8BB, UK
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Abstract
The performance of different bluetongue control measures related to both vaccination and protection from bluetongue virus (BTV) vectors was assessed. By means of a mathematical model, it was concluded that when vaccination is applied on 95% of animals even for 3 years, bluetongue cannot be eradicated and is able to re‐emerge. Only after 5 years of vaccination, the infection may be close to the eradication levels. In the absence of vaccination, the disease can persist for several years, reaching an endemic condition with low level of prevalence of infection. Among the mechanisms for bluetongue persistence, the persistence in the wildlife, the transplacental transmission in the host, the duration of viraemia and the possible vertical transmission in vectors were assessed. The criteria of the current surveillance scheme in place in the EU for demonstration of the virus absence need revision, because it was highlighted that under the current surveillance policy bluetongue circulation might occur undetected. For the safe movement of animals, newborn ruminants from vaccinated mothers with neutralising antibodies can be considered protected against infection, although a protective titre threshold cannot be identified. The presence of colostral antibodies interferes with the vaccine immunisation in the newborn for more than 3 months after birth, whereas the minimum time after vaccination of animal to be considered immune can be up to 48 days. The knowledge about vectors ecology, mechanisms of over‐wintering and criteria for the seasonally vector‐free period was updated. Some Culicoides species are active throughout the year and an absolute vector‐free period may not exist at least in some areas in Europe. To date, there is no evidence that the use of insecticides and repellents reduce the transmission of BTV in the field, although this may reduce host/vector contact. By only using pour‐on insecticides, protection of animals is lower than the one provided by vector‐proof establishments. This publication is linked to the following EFSA Supporting Publications article: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.2903/sp.efsa.2017.EN-1182/full, http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.2903/sp.efsa.2017.EN-1171/full
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Versteirt V, Balenghien T, Tack W, Wint W. A first estimation of Culicoides imicola and Culicoides obsoletus/Culicoides scoticus seasonality and abundance in Europe. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2017. [DOI: 10.2903/sp.efsa.2017.en-1182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - T Balenghien
- Institut Agronomique et Vétérinaire Hassan II Madinat Al Irfane Morocco
| | | | - W Wint
- Environmental Research Group Oxford The United Kingdom
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