| bluetongue virus isolations from midges belonging to the obsoletus complex (culicoides, diptera: ceratopogonidae) in italy. | between july and september 2002 there were outbreaks of bluetongue on three sheep holdings in the communities of san gregorio magno (salerno, campania), laviano (salerno, campania) and carpino (foggia, puglia), and the involvement of bluetongue virus (btv) was confirmed serologically and virologically. the mortality rate was at least 11 per cent and involved btv serotype 2 (btv-2) and serotype 9 (btv-9). these holdings were also surveyed for the culicoides (diptera: ceratopogonidae) vectors; app ... | 2005 | 16055660 |
| differentiation of culicoides obsoletus and culicoides scoticus (diptera: ceratopogonidae) based on mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit i. | culicoides obsoletus (meigen) and culicoides scoticus downes & kettle (diptera: ceratopogonidae) are sibling species of the obsoletus group. this group comprises species of biting midges that are suspect vectors of bluetongue virus (family reoviridae, genus orbivirus, btv) and african horse sickness virus (family reoviridae, genus orbivirus, ahsv). btv and ahsv have been isolated several times from females of this group, although it has not been possible to determine the particular species harbo ... | 2005 | 16465744 |
| influence of biotic and abiotic factors on the distribution and abundance of culicoides imicola and the obsoletus complex in italy. | culicoides imicola kieffer (culicoides, diptera: ceratopogonidae) is the principal vector of bluetongue virus (btv) to ruminant livestock in southern europe. the secondary potential vectors are culicoides obsoletus (meigen) and culicoides scoticus downes and kettle of the obsoletus complex, culicoides pulicaris (linnaeus) of the pulicaris complex and culicoides dewulfi goetghebuer of the subgenus avaritia fox. between 2000 and 2004 >38,000 light-trap collections were made for culicoides across i ... | 2007 | 17997043 |
| the phenology and population dynamics of culicoides spp. in different ecosystems in the netherlands. | the netherlands has enjoyed a relatively free state of vector-borne diseases of economic importance for more than one century. emerging infectious diseases may change this situation, threatening the health of humans, domestic livestock and wildlife. in order to be prepared for the potential outbreak of vector-borne diseases, a study was undertaken to investigate the distribution and seasonal dynamics of candidate vectors of infectious diseases with emphasis on bluetongue vectors (culicoides spp. ... | 2008 | 18639947 |
| experimental infection studies of uk culicoides species midges with bluetongue virus serotypes 8 and 9. | this paper describes a rapid, standardised method for testing the susceptibility to bluetongue virus (btv) of northern palaearctic culicoides species midges that can be used to assess the competence of both field-caught and laboratory-infected midges. the method has been used to show that culicoides scoticus can replicate btv serotype 8 and btv serotype 9 strains to more than 3 log(10) tcid50/midge, the first evidence of the potential of this species to transmit btv. | 2008 | 19011244 |
| changes of the abundance of culicoides obsoletus s.s. and culicoides scoticus in southwest germany identified by a pcr-based differentiation. | the outbreak of bluetongue disease in central europe necessitates new approaches in the identification of vectors to follow-up changes of populations of species and not of complexes. since females of species of the complex of culicoides obsoletus are difficult to be identified according to morphological criteria, we applied a polymerase chain reaction (pcr)-based strategy targeting the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit i to differentiate between the species culicoides obsoletus s.s. and c ... | 2009 | 19319570 |
| genebank accession numbers of sequences of culicoides species vectors of bluetongue virus in germany. | the paper offers the genebank accession numbers of culicoides obsoletus, culicoides scoticus and culicoides pulicaris sequences (its 1, its 2, 18s rrna) that had been shown to be vectors of the bluetongue virus serotype 8, which was introduced in 2006 into germany and spread until 2009 all over central europe, including parts of england. the numbers are fn 263292 until fn 263323. | 2009 | 19424722 |
| monitoring of biting midges (diptera: ceratopogonidae: culicoides latreille) on farms in sweden during the emergence of the 2008 epidemic of bluetongue. | in light of the emergence of bluetongue in northern europe, populations of culicoides species were monitored in 2007-2008 by means of onderstepoort blacklight suction traps operating at livestock farms in sweden. the location of the 22 sampling sites ranged from about latitude 55 degrees n to about 68 degrees n. a total of 61,669 male and female culicoides were captured, of which, 52,319 were trapped outside the farms and 9,350 in byres or livestock sheds. thirty-three culicoides species were re ... | 2010 | 20174825 |
| discrimination of culicoides obsoletus and culicoides scoticus, potential bluetongue vectors, by morphometrical and mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit i analysis. | biting midges of the culicoides obsoletus meigen species complex (diptera: ceratopogonidae) are increasingly suspected as vectors of the recent emergence of bluetongue virus in europe. within this complex, identification of the c. obsoletus and culicoides scoticus females is considered as difficult or sometimes not possible while the identification of males is easy, based on genitalia observation. nolan et al. (2007) concluded that the distinction of c. obsoletus and c. scoticus females is not p ... | 2010 | 20381646 |
| contribution to the knowledge of culicoides (diptera: ceratopogonidae) host preferences in france. | knowledge on host-feeding pattern of blood-sucking insects helps to understand the epidemiology of a vector-born disease. we determined blood meal origin from blood-fed culicoides thanks to molecular techniques. a set of primers was used to selectively amplify segment of vertebrates' prepronociceptin gene from abdomen of engorged culicoides (diptera: ceratopogonidae). vertebrate dna was successfully amplified in 91% of blood-fed culicoides assayed. direct sequencing and comparison of resultant s ... | 2010 | 20967462 |
| molecular identification of bloodmeals from biting midges (diptera: ceratopogonidae: culicoides latreille) in denmark. | culicoides vectors are critical to the survival and transmission of bluetongue virus as infection only occurs in areas or regions where competent vectors are present. the success of culicoides biting midges as vectors is mainly related to their vast population sizes and to their means of dispersal. their choice of host for blood feeding is sparsely described. the aim of the present study was to establish methods for the identification of bloodmeal hosts and determine the identity and diversity o ... | 2010 | 20978788 |
| simultaneous quantification of the relative abundance of species complex members: application to culicoides obsoletus and culicoides scoticus (diptera: ceratopogonidae), potential vectors of bluetongue virus. | the two sympatric sibling species culicoides obsoletus (meigen) and culicoides scoticus downes and kettle (diptera: ceratopogonidae), are known to be competent vectors for bluetongue virus in the palaearctic region. however, morphological identification of constituent species is only readily applicable to adult males and these two species distinguishing traits have overlapping character states. as their vector competence may differ in space and time, the correct identification and quantification ... | 2011 | 21715095 |
| phenology and attraction of potential culicoides vectors of bluetongue virus in basque country (northern spain). | bluetongue virus is transmitted by culicoides biting midges (diptera: ceratopogonidae). culicoides associated with livestock were captured using cdc blacklight traps at three btv-infected farms in basque country between november 2007 and december 2008. twenty-seven and nineteen culicoides species were collected in outdoor and indoor habitats respectively. indoor insect community represented 86.1% of the whole captured individual biting midges. culicoides obsoletus/culicoides scoticus (two siblin ... | 2011 | 22137350 |
| does covering of farm-associated culicoides larval habitat reduce adult populations in the united kingdom? | culicoides biting midges (diptera: ceratopogonidae) are the biological vectors of a range of internationally important arboviruses of livestock, including bluetongue virus (btv) and the recently emerging schmallenberg virus (sbv). culicoides species in the subgenus avaritia (in the uk: culicoides obsoletus meigen, culicoides scoticus downes & kettle, culicoides dewulfi goetghebuer and culicoides chiopterus meigen) have been implicated in btv transmission in northern europe and to a varying degre ... | 2013 | 24472769 |
| morphometric discrimination of two sympatric sibling species in the palaearctic region, culicoides obsoletus meigen and c. scoticus downes & kettle (diptera: ceratopogonidae), vectors of bluetongue and schmallenberg viruses. | some palaearctic biting midge species (subgenus avaritia) have been implicated as vectors of bluetongue virus in northern europe. separation of two species (c. obsoletus and c. scoticus) is considered difficult morphologically and, often, these female specimens are grouped in entomological studies. however, species-specific identification is desirable to understand their life history characteristics, assess their roles in disease transmission or measure their abundance during arboviral outbreaks ... | 2016 | 27146157 |
| environmental drivers of culicoides phenology: how important is species-specific variation when determining disease policy? | since 2006, arboviruses transmitted by culicoides biting midges (diptera: ceratopogonidae) have caused significant disruption to ruminant production in northern europe. the most serious incursions involved strains of bluetongue virus (btv), which cause bluetongue (bt) disease. to control spread of btv, movement of susceptible livestock is restricted with economic and animal welfare impacts. the timing of btv transmission in temperate regions is partly determined by the seasonal presence of adult ... | 2014 | 25386940 |
| emergence of culicoides obsoletus group species from farm-associated habitats in germany. | biting midges of the genus culicoides (diptera: ceratopogonidae) may transmit several arboviruses to ruminant livestock. the species of the obsoletus group are considered to be among the most important vectors of bluetongue virus (btv) in northern europe. as agricultural environments offer suitable habitats for the development of their immature stages, the emergence of adult culicoides from potential breeding sites was investigated at 20 cattle farms throughout germany in 2012 and 2013. in analy ... | 2016 | 26744290 |
| impact of mechanical disturbance on the emergence of culicoides from cowpats. | the outbreaks of bluetongue virus and schmallenberg virus between 2006 and 2012 highlighted the need for control methods for north-western palaearctic biting midge species. there is especially a demand for alternative control methods without application of insecticides. therefore, the objective of this paper was to evaluate the impact of mechanical disturbance as a control method for culicoides biting midges in cowpats. we used a trash rake to destroy the compact structure of cowpats and spread ... | 2014 | 24452917 |
| a survey of culicoides developmental sites on a farm in northern spain, with a brief review of immature habitats of european species. | culicoides species (diptera: ceratopogonidae) belonging to the obsoletus and pulicaris groups are considered to be the main vectors of bluetongue virus (btv) in non mediterranean europe. selected terrestrial microhabitats (n=17) on a farm in northern spain were sampled repeatedly over a year-long period and characterized for use by culicoides species for immature development. concurrent use of cdc light traps showed the presence of 37 species and 66,575 specimens of adult culicoides. a total of ... | 2013 | 22999100 |
| host preferences of palaearctic culicoides biting midges: implications for transmission of orbiviruses. | feeding success depends on host availability, host defensive reactions and host preferences. host choice is a critical determinant of the intensity at which pathogens are transmitted. the aim of the current study was to describe host preferences of palaearctic culicoides species (diptera: ceratopogonidae) latreille using traps baited with the five different host species of poultry, horse, cattle, sheep and goat. collections were carried out nightly in july and august 2009 in western france with ... | 2013 | 22985009 |
| chemical composition of silage residues sustaining the larval development of the culicoides obsoletus/culicoides scoticus species (diptera: ceratopogonidae). | culicoides (diptera: ceratopogonidae) are biological vectors of bluetongue virus (btv). bluetongue is a viral disease that affects domestic and wild ruminants. since its recent emergence in northern europe, this disease has caused considerable economic losses to the sheep and cattle industry. the biotopes, and more particularly the chemical characteristics which are suitable for larval development of the main vector species, are still relatively unknown. this study shows that the larvae of bitin ... | 2013 | 22963713 |
| indoor and outdoor winter activity of culicoides biting midges, vectors of bluetongue virus, in italy. | indoor and outdoor winter activity of culicoides spp. (diptera: ceratopogonidae) in central italy was investigated in order to evaluate whether indoor activity might account for the overwintering of bluetongue virus, as has been hypothesized by some authors. weekly culicoides collections were performed at three farms over three consecutive winter seasons. at each farm, two black-light traps were operated simultaneously, indoors and outdoors. culicoides were identified using both morphological an ... | 2017 | 28833269 |
| culicoides species composition and abundance on irish cattle farms: implications for arboviral disease transmission. | following the emergence of schmallenberg virus (sbv) in ireland in 2012, a sentinel herd surveillance program was established in the south of ireland with the primary aim of investigating the species composition and abundance of culicoides on livestock farms in the region. | 2018 | 30119685 |
| vector competence of italian populations of culicoides for some bluetongue virus strains responsible for recent northern african and european outbreaks. | 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 e ... | 2019 | 31614799 |