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Whelpley MJ, Zhou LH, Rascon J, Payne B, Moehn B, Young KI, Mire CE, Peters DPC, Rodriguez LL, Hanley KA. Community composition of black flies during and after the 2020 vesicular stomatitis virus outbreak in Southern New Mexico, USA. Parasit Vectors 2024; 17:93. [PMID: 38414030 PMCID: PMC10900647 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-024-06127-6] [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: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV), a vector-borne pathogen of livestock, emerges periodically in the western US. In New Mexico (NM), US, most cases occur close to the Rio Grande River, implicating black flies (Simulium spp.) as a possible vector. In 2020, VS cases were reported in NM from April to May, although total black fly abundance remained high until September. We investigated the hypothesis that transience of local VSV transmission results from transient abundance of key, competent black fly species. Additionally, we investigated whether irrigation canals in southern NM support a different community of black flies than the main river. Lastly, to gain insight into the source of local black flies, in 2023 we collected black fly larvae prior to the release of water into the Rio Grande River channel. METHODS We randomly sub-sampled adult black flies collected along the Rio Grande during and after the 2020 VSV outbreak. We also collected black fly adults along the river in 2021 and 2022 and at southern NM farms and irrigation canals in 2022. Black fly larvae were collected from dams in the area in 2023. All collections were counted, and individual specimens were subjected to molecular barcoding for species identification. RESULTS DNA barcoding of adult black flies detected four species in 2020: Simulium meridionale (N = 158), S. mediovittatum (N = 83), S. robynae (N = 26) and S. griseum/notatum (N = 1). Simulium robynae was only detected during the VSV outbreak period, S. meridionale showed higher relative abundance, but lower absolute abundance, during the outbreak than post-outbreak period, and S. mediovittatum was rare during the outbreak period but predominated later in the summer. In 2022, relative abundance of black fly species did not differ significantly between the Rio Grande sites and farm and irrigation canals. Intriguingly, 63 larval black flies comprised 56% Simulium vittatum, 43% S. argus and 1% S. encisoi species that were either extremely rare or not detected in previous adult collections. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that S. robynae and S. meridionale could be shaping patterns of VSV transmission in southern NM. Thus, field studies of the source of these species as well as vector competence studies are warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madelin J Whelpley
- Department of Biology, College of Arts and Sciences, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, USA
| | - Lawrence H Zhou
- Department of Biology, College of Arts and Sciences, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, USA
| | - Jeremy Rascon
- Department of Biology, College of Arts and Sciences, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, USA
| | - Bailey Payne
- Department of Biology, College of Arts and Sciences, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, USA
| | - Brett Moehn
- Department of Biology, College of Arts and Sciences, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, USA
| | - Katherine I Young
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Texas El Paso, El Paso Texas, USA
| | - Chad E Mire
- United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Services, National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility, Foreign Arthropod-Borne Animal Diseases Research Unit, Manhattan, KS, USA
| | - Debra P C Peters
- United States Department of Agriculture, Office of National Programs, Beltsville, MD, USA
| | - Luis L Rodriguez
- United States, Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Services, Plum Island Animal Disease Center and National Bio- and Agro-Defense Facility, Manhattan, KS, USA
| | - Kathryn A Hanley
- Department of Biology, College of Arts and Sciences, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, USA.
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McVey DS, Hanzlicek G, Ruder MG, Loy D, Drolet BS. Evidence of Active Orbivirus Transmission in 2016 in Kansas and Nebraska. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2024. [PMID: 38386998 DOI: 10.1089/vbz.2022.0096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Retrospective serological and case diagnostic data of endemic bluetongue virus (BTV) and epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus (EHDV) provide evidence of viral transmission among livestock and wildlife from 2016 in Kansas and Nebraska. Serological testing of mature cattle in nine distinct regional zones of Kansas revealed 76% to 100% had detectable antibodies to BTV and/or EHDV. Specimens tested in the Kansas Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (55 submissions) were 51% test positive for antibodies to BTV and/or EHDV. Specimens tested in the Nebraska Veterinary Diagnostic Center (283 submissions) were 25% test positive for antibodies to BTV and/or EHDV. Low disease incidence in white-tailed deer and other susceptible wild ungulates was observed during 2016. However, there were no confirmed reports of disease in livestock in either state. The reasons for emergence of significant clinical disease in livestock and wildlife populations remain undefined.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Scott McVey
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Nebraska Veterinary Diagnostic Center, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA
| | - Greg Hanzlicek
- Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, USA
| | - Mark G Ruder
- Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study, Department of Population Health, University of Georgia, College of Veterinary Medicine, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Dustin Loy
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Nebraska Veterinary Diagnostic Center, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA
| | - Barbara S Drolet
- Arthropod-Borne Animal Diseases Research Unit, USDA ARS CGAHR, Manhattan, Kansas, USA
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McGregor BL, Lewis A. Host Associations of Culicoides Biting Midges in Northeastern Kansas, USA. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:2504. [PMID: 37570311 PMCID: PMC10416965 DOI: 10.3390/ani13152504] [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: 06/29/2023] [Revised: 07/28/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Culicoides biting midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) are hematophagous flies that transmit several viruses of veterinary concern to livestock. Understanding blood feeding behaviors is integral towards identification of putative vector species and preventing the transmission of these pathogens. PCR-based blood meal analysis was conducted on 440 blood-engorged Culicoides midges collected in northeastern Kansas, with 316 (71.8%) returning non-human vertebrate identifications at the ≥95% identity match level. Broadly, Culicoides sonorensis, Culicoides stellifer, and Culicoides variipennis were found to feed heavily on mammalian hosts, while Culicoides crepuscularis and Culicoides haematopotus fed on avian hosts. The blood meals in all specimens were graded prior to DNA extraction to determine whether blood meal size or digestion status significantly impacted the likelihood of a quality host match. Size had a significant impact on the likelihood of a quality match at grades 3-5, whereas digestion only significantly impacted outcomes at the most extreme grade. These vector-host dynamics have not previously been studied in Culicoides collected in Kansas, which represents a unique tallgrass prairie biome within the United States that is heavily interspersed with livestock operations. Based on these data, the highly abundant species C. crepuscularis and C. haematopotus are unlikely to be major vectors of mammalian viruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bethany L. McGregor
- Arthropod-Borne Animal Diseases Research Unit, Center for Grain and Animal Health Research, USDA-ARS, Manhattan, KS 66502, USA
| | - Aaron Lewis
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
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Molecular Tracking of the Origin of Vesicular Stomatitis Outbreaks in 2004 and 2018, Ecuador. Vet Sci 2023; 10:vetsci10030181. [PMID: 36977220 PMCID: PMC10057135 DOI: 10.3390/vetsci10030181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2022] [Revised: 01/25/2023] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 03/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The Vesicular Stomatitis Virus (VSV) is an arbovirus causing vesicular stomatitis (VS) in livestock. There are two serotypes recognized: New Jersey (VSNJV) and Indiana (VSIV). The virus can be transmitted directly by contact or by vectors. In 2018, Ecuador experienced an outbreak of Vesicular Stomatitis (VS) in cattle, caused by VSNJV and VSVIV, with 399 cases reported distributed over 18 provinces. We determined the phylogenetic relationships among 67 strains. For the construction of phylogenetic trees, the viral phosphoprotein gene was sequenced, and trees were constructed based on the Maximum Likelihood method using 2004 outbreak strains from Ecuador (GenBank) and the 2018 sequences (this article). We built a haplotype network for VSNJV to trace the origin of the 2004 and 2018 epizootics through topology and mutation connections. These analyses suggest two different origins, one related to the 2004 outbreak and the other from a transmission source in 2018. Our analysis also suggests different transmission patterns; several small and independent outbreaks, most probably transmitted by vectors in the Amazon, and another outbreak caused by the movement of livestock in the Andean and Coastal regions. We recommend further research into vectors and vertebrate reservoirs in Ecuador to clarify the mechanisms of the reemergence of the virus.
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McGregor BL, Reister-Hendricks LM, Nordmeyer C, Stapleton S, Davis TM, Drolet BS. Using Zoos as Sentinels for Re-Emerging Arboviruses: Vector Surveillance during an Outbreak of Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease at the Minnesota Zoo. Pathogens 2023; 12:pathogens12010140. [PMID: 36678488 PMCID: PMC9864106 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens12010140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2022] [Revised: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Vector-borne disease prevalence is increasing at a time when surveillance capacity in the United States is decreasing. One way to address this surveillance deficiency is to utilize established infrastructure, such as zoological parks, to investigate animal disease outbreaks and improve our epidemiological understanding of vector-borne pathogens. During fall 2020, an outbreak of epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD) at the Minnesota Zoo resulted in morbidity and seroconversion of several collection animals. In response to this outbreak, insect surveillance was conducted, and the collected insects were tested for the presence of epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus (EHDV) by RT-qPCR to better understand the local transmitting vector populations responsible for the outbreak. Six pools of Culicoides biting midges were positive for EHDV, including three pools of Culicoides sonorensis, two pools of Culicoides variipennis, and a pool of degraded C. variipennis complex midges. All three endemic serotypes of EHDV (1, 2, and 6) were detected in both animals and midge pools from the premises. Despite this outbreak, no EHDV cases had been reported in wild animals near the zoo. This highlights the importance and utility of using animal holding facilities, such as zoos, as sentinels to better understand the spatio-temporal dynamics of pathogen transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bethany L. McGregor
- Arthropod-Borne Animal Diseases Research Unit, Center for Grain and Animal Health Research, USDA-Agricultural Research Service, Manhattan, KS 66502, USA
- Correspondence:
| | - Lindsey M. Reister-Hendricks
- Arthropod-Borne Animal Diseases Research Unit, Center for Grain and Animal Health Research, USDA-Agricultural Research Service, Manhattan, KS 66502, USA
| | - Cale Nordmeyer
- Conservation Department, Minnesota Zoo, Apple Valley, MN 55124, USA
| | - Seth Stapleton
- Conservation Department, Minnesota Zoo, Apple Valley, MN 55124, USA
- Department of Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA
| | - Travis M. Davis
- Arthropod-Borne Animal Diseases Research Unit, Center for Grain and Animal Health Research, USDA-Agricultural Research Service, Manhattan, KS 66502, USA
| | - Barbara S. Drolet
- Arthropod-Borne Animal Diseases Research Unit, Center for Grain and Animal Health Research, USDA-Agricultural Research Service, Manhattan, KS 66502, USA
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Allen SE, Vigil SL, Jardine CM, Furukawa-Stoffer T, Colucci N, Ambagala A, Ruder MG, Nemeth NM. New Distribution Records of Biting Midges of the Genus Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) Latreille, Culicoides bergi and Culicoides baueri, in Southern Ontario, Canada. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2022; 59:1467-1472. [PMID: 35468207 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjac047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Some species of Culicoides Latreille (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) can be pests as well as pathogen vectors, but data on their distribution in Ontario, Canada, are sparse. Collecting this baseline data is important given ongoing, accelerated alterations in global climate patterns that may favor the establishment of some species in northern latitudes. Culicoides spp. were surveyed using UV light traps over two seasons in 2017 and 2018 at livestock farms in southern Ontario, Canada. Two Culicoides spp. not previously recorded in Canada were identified, C. bergi and C. baueri, representing new country and provincial records. Unlike some congenerics, these two species are not currently recognized as vectors of pathogens that pose a health risk to humans, livestock or wildlife in North America. However, the possibility that these Culicoides species may have recently expanded their geographic range, potentially in association with climate and/or landscape changes, warrants ongoing attention and research. Furthermore, our results provoke the question of the potential undocumented diversity of Culicoides spp. in Ontario and other parts of Canada, and whether other Culicoides spp. may be undergoing range expansion. The current and future distributions of Culicoides spp., and other potential vectors of human, agricultural, and wildlife health significance, are important to identify for proper disease risk assessment, mitigation, and management.
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Affiliation(s)
- S E Allen
- Department of Pathobiology, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, 419 Gordon St, Guelph N1G 2W1, Canada
- Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, 419 Gordon Street, Guelph N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - S L Vigil
- Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, 589 D. W. Brooks Drive, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - C M Jardine
- Department of Pathobiology, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, 419 Gordon St, Guelph N1G 2W1, Canada
- Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, 419 Gordon Street, Guelph N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - T Furukawa-Stoffer
- Canadian Food Inspection Agency, National Centre for Animal Diseases, 225090 Township Road 9-1, Lethbridge, AB T1J 0P3, Canada
| | - N Colucci
- Canadian Food Inspection Agency, National Centre for Animal Diseases, 225090 Township Road 9-1, Lethbridge, AB T1J 0P3, Canada
| | - A Ambagala
- Canadian Food Inspection Agency, National Centre for Foreign Animal Disease, 1015 Arlington St, Winnipeg, MB R3E 3P6, Canada
| | - M G Ruder
- Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, 589 D. W. Brooks Drive, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - N M Nemeth
- Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, 589 D. W. Brooks Drive, Athens, GA 30602, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of Georgia, 501 D. W. Brooks Drive, Athens, GA 30602, USA
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A Review of the Vector Status of North American Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) for Bluetongue Virus, Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease Virus, and Other Arboviruses of Concern. CURRENT TROPICAL MEDICINE REPORTS 2022; 9:130-139. [PMID: 36105115 PMCID: PMC9463510 DOI: 10.1007/s40475-022-00263-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Purpose of Review Culicoides biting midges transmit several pathogens of veterinary importance in North America, but the vector status of many midge species is unresolved. Additionally, the available evidence of vector competence in these species is scattered and variable. The purpose of this review is to summarize current knowledge on confirmed and putative North American Culicoides arbovirus vectors. Recent Findings While the vector status of Culicoides sonorensis (EHDV, BTV, VSV) and Culicoides insignis (BTV) are well established, several other potential vector species have been recently identified. Frequently, these species are implicated based primarily on host-feeding, abundance, and/or detection of arboviruses from field-collected insects, and often lack laboratory infection and transmission data necessary to fully confirm their vector status. Recent genetic studies have also indicated that some wide-ranging species likely represent several cryptic species, further complicating our understanding of their vector status. Summary In most cases, laboratory evidence needed to fully understand the vector status of the putative Culicoides vectors is absent; however, it appears that several species are likely contributing to the transmission of arboviruses in North America.
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Surveillance along the Rio Grande during the 2020 Vesicular Stomatitis Outbreak Reveals Spatio-Temporal Dynamics of and Viral RNA Detection in Black Flies. Pathogens 2021; 10:pathogens10101264. [PMID: 34684213 PMCID: PMC8541391 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens10101264] [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: 07/28/2021] [Revised: 09/24/2021] [Accepted: 09/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) emerges periodically from its focus of endemic transmission in southern Mexico to cause epizootics in livestock in the US. The ecology of VSV involves a diverse, but largely undefined, repertoire of potential reservoir hosts and invertebrate vectors. As part of a larger program to decipher VSV transmission, we conducted a study of the spatiotemporal dynamics of Simulium black flies, a known vector of VSV, along the Rio Grande in southern New Mexico, USA from March to December 2020. Serendipitously, the index case of VSV-Indiana (VSIV) in the USA in 2020 occurred at a central point of our study. Black flies appeared soon after the release of the Rio Grande’s water from an upstream dam in March 2020. Two-month and one-year lagged precipitation, maximum temperature, and vegetation greenness, measured as Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), were associated with increased black fly abundance. We detected VSIV RNA in 11 pools comprising five black fly species using rRT-PCR; five pools yielded a VSIV sequence. To our knowledge, this is the first detection of VSV in the western US from vectors that were not collected on premises with infected domestic animals.
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