scholarly journals The Absence of Abdominal Pigmentation in Livestock Associated Culicoides following Artificial Blood Feeding and the Epidemiological Implication for Arbovirus Surveillance

Pathogens ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 1571
Author(s):  
Maria Goffredo ◽  
Michela Quaglia ◽  
Matteo De Ascentis ◽  
Silvio Gerardo d’Alessio ◽  
Valentina Federici ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South African ◽  
Blood Feeding ◽  
African Horse Sickness ◽  
Culicoides Species ◽  
African Horse Sickness Virus ◽  
Artificial Blood ◽  
Parity Rate ◽  
Feeding Methods ◽  
Feeding Trials ◽  
Blood Meal Size

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.

scholarly journals Complete Genome Sequences of Four African Horse Sickness Virus Strains from a Commercial Tetravalent Live Attenuated Vaccine

2015 ◽  
Vol 3 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alan J. Guthrie ◽  
Peter Coetzee ◽  
Darren P. Martin ◽  
Carina W. Lourens ◽  
Estelle H. Venter ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South African ◽  
Virus Vaccine ◽  
Complete Genome ◽  
African Horse Sickness ◽  
African Horse Sickness Virus ◽  
Genome Sequences ◽  
Live Attenuated Vaccine ◽  
Live Virus ◽  
Live Virus Vaccine ◽  
Virus Strains

This is a report of the complete genome sequences of plaque-selected isolates of each of the four virus strains included in a South African commercial tetravalent African horse sickness attenuated live virus vaccine.

The oral susceptibility of South African field populations ofCulicoidesto African horse sickness virus

2009 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 367-378 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. J. VENTER ◽  
I. M. WRIGHT ◽  
T. C. VAN DER LINDE ◽  
J. T. PAWESKA
Keyword(s):  
South African ◽  
African Horse Sickness ◽  
African Horse Sickness Virus

scholarly journals Barcoding of the Genus Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) in Austria—An Update of the Species Inventory Including the First Records of Three Species in Austria

Pathogens ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 406
Author(s):  
Carina Zittra ◽  
Günther Wöss ◽  
Lara Van der Vloet ◽  
Karin Bakran-Lebl ◽  
Bita Shahi Barogh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
African Horse Sickness ◽  
Culicoides Species ◽  
African Horse Sickness Virus ◽  
Molecular Analyses ◽  
Equine Encephalitis Virus ◽  
Obsoletus Group ◽  
Worldwide Distribution ◽  
Veterinary Importance ◽  
Morphologic Analysis ◽  
I Gene

Ceratopogonidae are small nematoceran Diptera with a worldwide distribution, consisting of more than 5400 described species, divided into 125 genera. The genus Culicoides is known to comprise hematophagous vectors of medical and veterinary importance. Diseases transmitted by Culicoides spp. Such as African horse sickness virus, Bluetongue virus, equine encephalitis virus (Reoviridae) and Schmallenberg virus (Bunyaviridae) affect large parts of Europe and are strongly linked to the spread and abundance of its vectors. However, Culicoides surveillance measures are not implemented regularly nor in the whole of Austria. In this study, 142 morphologically identified individuals were chosen for molecular analyses (barcoding) of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene (mt COI). Molecular analyses mostly supported previous morphologic identification. Mismatches between results of molecular and morphologic analysis revealed three new Culicoides species in Austria, Culicoides gornostaevae Mirzaeva, 1984, which is a member of the Obsoletus group, C. griseidorsum Kieffer, 1918 and C. pallidicornis Kieffer, 1919 as well as possible cryptic species. We present here the first Austrian barcodes of the mt COI region of 26 Culicoides species and conclude that barcoding is a reliable tool with which to support morphologic analysis, especially with regard to the difficult to identify females of the medically and economically important genus Culicoides.

scholarly journals Morphological Keys for the Identification of Tunisian Culicoides Biting Midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Darine Slama ◽  
Emna Chaker ◽  
Hamouda Babba
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Blood Feeding ◽  
Morphological Characters ◽  
African Horse Sickness ◽  
Culicoides Species ◽  
Microscope Examination ◽  
Biting Midges ◽  
Health Significance ◽  
First Time ◽  
Culicoides Biting Midges

Culicoides biting midges are tiny blood-feeding insects of several diseases with veterinary and public health significance, including Bluetongue in ruminants, African horse sickness in equids and filarial diseases like Onchocercosis and Mansonellosis affecting various species such as humans. Their identification depends basically on the microscope examination of key morphological characters. Consequently, identification keys are important to any non experiment working with these biting midges. The Tunisian fauna of Culicoides biting midges consists of 35 species, whose morphological delineation may be troublesome for non-taxonomists. In response to this situation, and for the first time a key to the adult Culicoides species in Tunisia was prepared.

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