scholarly journals Papular Dermatitis Induced in Guinea Pigs by the Biting Midge Culicoides Sonorensis (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae)

2003 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 67-71 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. O'Toole ◽  
A. A. Pérez de León ◽  
C. Hearne ◽  
L. McHolland ◽  
L. Yun ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Guinea Pigs ◽  
Blood Feeding ◽  
Salivary Secretion ◽  
Ultrastructural Changes ◽  
Biting Midges ◽  
Feeding Sites ◽  
Biting Midge ◽  
Culicoides Sonorensis ◽  
Superficial Dermis ◽  
Papular Dermatitis

Histological, ultrastructural, and virological examinations were performed on abdominal skin from guinea pigs after a blood meal by colony-bred biting midges, Culicoides sonorensis. Small, superficial, cutaneous, crateriform ulcers with necrosis of superficial dermis developed at feeding sites and healed within 24–48 hours. Animals developed nonpruritic erythematous papules 5 days after feeding that persisted until the study ended at 12 days after feeding. Papules corresponded histologically to foci of epidermal hyperplasia and superficial interstitial dermatitis with intraepidermal micropustules and scattered intraepidermal polykaryons. The principal ultrastructural changes were spongiosis in germinal epithelium and neutrophilic-histiocytic exocytosis. No viral agents or broken mouthparts were identified in lesions. The dermatitis may represent a host reaction to persisting insect salivary secretion and should be considered as an additional consequence of blood feeding in future studies involving biting midges.

scholarly journals Impacts of Infectious Dose, Feeding Behavior, and Age of Culicoides sonorensis Biting Midges on Infection Dynamics of Vesicular Stomatitis Virus

Pathogens ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 816
Author(s):  
Paula Rozo-Lopez ◽  
Berlin Londono-Renteria ◽  
Barbara S. Drolet
Keyword(s):  
Feeding Behavior ◽  
Vesicular Stomatitis Virus ◽  
Vector Competence ◽  
Blood Feeding ◽  
Whole Body ◽  
Biting Midges ◽  
Infectious Dose ◽  
Infection Dynamics ◽  
Culicoides Sonorensis ◽  
Vesicular Stomatitis

Culicoides sonorensis biting midges are biological vectors of vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) in the U.S. Yet, little is known regarding the amount of ingested virus required to infect midges, nor how their feeding behavior or age affects viral replication and vector competence. We determined the minimum infectious dose of VSV-New Jersey for C. sonorensis midges and examined the effects of multiple blood-feeding cycles and age at the time of virus acquisition on infection dynamics. A minimum dose of 3.2 logs of virus/mL of blood resulted in midgut infections, and 5.2 logs/mL resulted in a disseminated infection to salivary glands. For blood-feeding behavior studies, ingestion of one or two non-infectious blood meals (BM) after a VSV infectious blood meal (VSV-BM) resulted in higher whole-body virus titers than midges receiving only the single infectious VSV-BM. Interestingly, this infection enhancement was not seen when a non-infectious BM preceded the infectious VSV-BM. Lastly, increased midge age at the time of infection correlated to increased whole-body virus titers. This research highlights the epidemiological implications of infectious doses, vector feeding behaviors, and vector age on VSV infection dynamics to estimate the risk of transmission by Culicoides midges more precisely.

scholarly journals Susceptibility of Midge and Mosquito Vectors to SARS-CoV-2

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Velmurugan Balaraman ◽  
Barbara S Drolet ◽  
Natasha N Gaudreault ◽  
William C Wilson ◽  
Jeana Owens ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Lines ◽  
Potential Role ◽  
Animal Origin ◽  
Culex Tarsalis ◽  
Biting Midges ◽  
Bacterial Diseases ◽  
Culicoides Sonorensis ◽  
Insect Cell Lines ◽  
Intrathoracic Inoculation

Abstract SARS-CoV-2 is a recently emerged, highly contagious virus and the cause of the current COVID-19 pandemic. It is a zoonotic virus, although its animal origin is not clear yet. Person-to-person transmission occurs by inhalation of infected droplets and aerosols, or by direct contact with contaminated fomites. Arthropods transmit numerous viral, parasitic, and bacterial diseases; however, the potential role of arthropods in SARS-CoV-2 transmission is not fully understood. Thus far, a few studies have demonstrated that SARS-CoV-2 replication is not supported in cells from certain insect species nor in certain species of mosquitoes after intrathoracic inoculation. In this study, we expanded the work of SARS-CoV-2 susceptibility to biting insects after ingesting a SARS-CoV-2-infected bloodmeal. Species tested included Culicoides sonorensis (Wirth & Jones) (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) biting midges, as well as Culex tarsalis (Coquillett) and Culex quinquefasciatus (Say) mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae), all known biological vectors for numerous RNA viruses. Arthropods were allowed to feed on SARS-CoV-2-spiked blood and at a time point postinfection analyzed for the presence of viral RNA and infectious virus. Additionally, cell lines derived from C. sonorensis (W8a), Aedes aegypti (Linnaeus) (Diptera: Culicidae) (C6/36), Cx. quinquefasciatus (HSU), and Cx. tarsalis (CxTrR2) were tested for SARS-CoV-2 susceptibility. Our results indicate that none of the biting insects, nor the insect cell lines evaluated support SARS-CoV-2 replication, suggesting that these species are unable to be biological vectors of SARS-CoV-2.

scholarly journals The Biting Midge Culicoides sonorensis (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) Is Capable of Developing Late Stage Infections of Leishmania enriettii

2015 ◽  
Vol 9 (9) ◽  
pp. e0004060 ◽  
Author(s):  
Veronika Seblova ◽  
Jovana Sadlova ◽  
Barbora Vojtkova ◽  
Jan Votypka ◽  
Simon Carpenter ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Late Stage ◽  
Biting Midge ◽  
Culicoides Sonorensis ◽  
Leishmania Enriettii

scholarly journals Blood-Feeding Behavior of Vesicular Stomatitis Virus Infected Culicoides sonorensis (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae)

2008 ◽  
Vol 45 (5) ◽  
pp. 921-926 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristine E. Bennett ◽  
Jessica E. Hopper ◽  
Melissa A. Stuart ◽  
Mark West ◽  
Barbara S. Drolet
Keyword(s):  
Feeding Behavior ◽  
Vesicular Stomatitis Virus ◽  
Blood Feeding ◽  
Culicoides Sonorensis ◽  
Vesicular Stomatitis

scholarly journals Cuticular and Internal Chemical Composition of Biting Midges Culicoides spp. (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae), Potential Vectors of Viral Diseases

2014 ◽  
Vol 9 (8) ◽  
pp. 1934578X1400900
Author(s):  
Mikel González ◽  
Sergio López ◽  
Gloria Rosell ◽  
Arturo Goldarazena ◽  
Angel Guerrero
Keyword(s):  
Chemical Composition ◽  
Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Viral Diseases ◽  
Chemical Profile ◽  
Biting Midges ◽  
Biting Midge ◽  
Branched Hydrocarbons ◽  
Hexane Extracts ◽  
Major Chemical ◽  
First Time

The chemical profile of the cuticle and internal tissues of four species of Culicoides have been studied for the first time by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The chemical composition of females of C. obsoletus s.l. and C. lupicaris, vectors of diverse viral diseases, have been compared with that of other biting midges, such as C. kibunensis and C. fascipennis, and the non-biting midge Forcipomyia bipunctata. A total of 61 compounds belonging to 8 major chemical classes were identified in cuticular and internal tissues in n-hexane extracts. The compounds include carboxylic acids (CAs) (C6-C20), with C16:0, C16:1 and C18:1 being dominant, branched hydrocarbons (C29 to C38 mono/di/trimethylalkanes), linear hydrocarbons (C15 to C33, mainly odd chain carbons), terpenes (geranylacetone, geranylgeraniol acetate, squalene, terpenic alcohol), steroids (cholesterol), aldehydes (C9-C10 and even chain C20 to C30), and esters. The chemical profile depends on the species and whether the extracts are external (cuticle) or internal. The contents of linear and branched hydrocarbons and aldehydes was high in cuticular extracts but practically absent in internal tissues, which were, in contrast, rich in CAs, terpenes and steroids. The results are discussed and compared with other Culicoides midges and mosquito-related species.

Blood-Feeding Behavior of Vesicular Stomatitis Virus Infected Culicoides sonorensis (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae)

2008 ◽  
Vol 45 (5) ◽  
pp. 921-926 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristine E. Bennett ◽  
Jessica E. Hopper ◽  
Melissa A. Stuart ◽  
Mark West ◽  
Barbara S. Drolet
Keyword(s):  
Feeding Behavior ◽  
Vesicular Stomatitis Virus ◽  
Blood Feeding ◽  
Culicoides Sonorensis ◽  
Vesicular Stomatitis
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