culicoides; Belgium; population dynamics; Schmallenberg virus
Abstract :
[en] In 2011, Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) were collected at 16 locations covering four regions of Belgium with Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute (OVI) traps and at two locations with Rothamsted suction traps (RSTs). Quantification of the collections and morphological identification showed important variations in abundance and species diversity between individual collection sites, even for sites located in the same region. However, consistently higher numbers of Culicoides midges were collected at some sites compared with others. When species abundance and diversity were analysed at regional level, between-site variation disappeared. Overall, species belonging to the subgenus Avaritia together with Culicoides pulicaris (subgenus Culicoides) were the most abundant, accounting for 80% and 96% of all midges collected with RSTs and OVI traps, respectively. Culicoides were present during most of the year, with Culicoides obsoletus complex midges found from 9 February until 27 December. Real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction screening for Schmallenberg virus in the heads of collected midges resulted in the first detection of the virus in August 2011 and identified C. obsoletus complex, Culicoides chiopterus and Culicoides dewulfi midges as putative vector species. At Libramont in the south of Belgium, no positive pools were identified.
Disciplines :
Veterinary medicine & animal health
Author, co-author :
Losson, Bertrand ; Université de Liège > Département des maladies infectieuses et parasitaires (DMI) > Parasitologie et pathologie des maladies parasitaires
De Regge, N
Deblauwe, I
Fassotte, C
Madder, M
Ventieghem, P
Tomme, M
Smeets, F
Cay, B
Language :
English
Title :
Culicoides monitoring in Belgium in 2011: Analysis of spatio-temporal abundance, species diversity and Schmallenberg virus detection.
Alternative titles :
[en] Suivi des populations de Culicoïdes en Belgique en 2011: Analyse de l'abondance spatio-temporelle, de la diversité en espèces et détection du virus Schmallenberg
Al-Busaidy, S.M., Mellor, P.S., Isolation and identification of arboviruses from the Sultanate of Oman (1991) Epidemiology and Infection, 106, pp. 403-413
Ander, M., Meiswinkel, R., Chirico, J., Seasonal dynamics of biting midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae: Culicoides), the potential vectors of bluetongue virus, in Sweden (2012) Veterinary Parasitology, 184, pp. 59-67
Aybar, C.A., Juri, M.J., De Grosso, M.S., Spinelli, G.R., Species diversity and seasonal abundance of Culicoides biting midges in northwestern Argentina (2010) Medical and Veterinary Entomology, 24, pp. 95-98
Berisha, B., Goga, I., Hulaj, B., Çaushi, D., Sherifi, K., Wilsmore, A.J., Taylor, W.P., Entomological research on the vectors of bluetongue disease and the monitoring of activity of Culicoides in the Prishtinë region of Kosova (2010) Veterinaria Italiana, 46, pp. 431-437
Bryant, J.E., Crabtree, M.B., Nam, V.S., Yen, N.T., Duc, H.M., Miller, B.R., Isolation of arboviruses from mosquitoes collected in northern Vietnam (2005) American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 73, pp. 470-473
Carpenter, S., McArthur, C., Selby, R., Experimental infection studies of UK Culicoides species midges with bluetongue virus serotypes 8 and 9 (2008) Veterinary Record, 163, pp. 589-592
Carpenter, S., Szmaragd, C., Barber, J., Labuschagne, K., Gubbins, S., Mellor, P.S., An assessment of Culicoides surveillance techniques in northern Europe: have we underestimated a potential bluetongue virus vector? (2008) Journal of Applied Ecology, 45, pp. 1237-1245
Carpenter, S., Wilson, A., Barber, J., Veronesi, E., Mellor, P., Venter, G.J., Gubbins, S., Temperature dependence of the incubation period of orbiviruses in Culicoides biting midges (2011) PLoS One, 6, p. e27987
Casati, S., Racloz, V., Delécolle, J.C., An investigation on the Culicoides species composition at seven sites in southern Switzerland (2009) Medical and Veterinary Entomology, 23, pp. 93-98
Chaintoutis, S.C., Kiossis, E., Giadinis, N.D., Evidence of Schmallenberg virus circulation in ruminants in Greece (2014) Tropical Animal Health and Production, 46, pp. 251-255
Conraths, F.J., Peters, M., Beer, M., Schmallenberg virus, a novel orthobunyavirus infection in ruminants in Europe: potential global impact and preventive measures (2013) New Zealand Veterinary Journal, 61, pp. 63-67
Conte, A., Goffredo, M., Ippoliti, C., Meiswinkel, R., Influence of biotic and abiotic factors on the distribution and abundance of Culicoides imicola and the Obsoletus complex in Italy (2007) Veterinary Parasitology, 150, pp. 333-344
De Deken, G., Madder, M., Deblauwe, I., Vector monitoring at Belgian outbreak sites during the bluetongue epidemic of 2006 (2008) Preventive Veterinary Medicine, 87, pp. 64-73
Delécolle, J.C., (1985) Nouvelle contribution à l'étude systématique et iconographique des espèces du genre Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) du nord-est de la France., , PhD Thesis. University of Strasbourg, Strasbourg
De Liberato, C., Scavia, G., Lorenzetti, R., Identification of Culicoides obsoletus (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) as a vector of bluetongue virus in central Italy (2005) Veterinary Record, 156, pp. 301-304
De Regge, N., Deblauwe, I., De Deken, R., Detection of Schmallenberg virus in different Culicoides spp. by real time RT-PCR (2012) Transboundary and Emerging Diseases, 59, pp. 471-475
De Regge, N., Madder, M., Deblauwe, I., Schmallenberg virus circulation in Culicoides in Belgium in 2012: field validation of a real time RT-PCR approach to assess virus replication and dissemination in midges (2014) PLoS One, 9, p. e87005
Dijkstra, E., van der Ven, I.J., Meiswinkel, R., Hölzel, D.R., van Rijn, P.A., Meiswinkel, R., Culicoides chiopterus as a potential vector of bluetongue virus in Europe (2008) Veterinary Record, 162, p. 422
Doceul, V., Lara, E., Sailleau, C., Epidemiology, molecular virology and diagnostics of Schmallenberg virus, an emerging orthobunyavirus in Europe (2013) Veterinary Research, 44, p. 31
Elbers, A.R., Meiswinkel, R., van Weezep, E., van Oldruitenborgh-Oosterbaan, M.M., Kooi, E.A., Schmallenberg virus in Culicoides spp. biting midges, the Netherlands, 2011 (2013) Emerging and Infectious Diseases, 19, pp. 106-109
Elbers, A.R., Meiswinkel, R., van Weezep, E., Kooi, E.A., van der Poel, W.H., Schmallenberg virus in Culicoides biting midges in the Netherlands in 2012 (2013) Transboundary and Emerging Diseases, , [Epub ahead of print]
'Schmallenberg' virus: analysis of the epidemiological data. (2013), www.efsa.europa.eu/publications, Supporting Publications 2013: EN-429. [accessed on 13 May 2014]
Fassotte, C., Delécolle, J.C., Cors, R., Defrance, T., De Deken, R., Haubruge, E., Losson, B., Culicoides trapping with Rothamsted suction traps before and during the bluetongue epidemic of 2006 in Belgium (2008) Preventive Veterinary Medicine, 87, pp. 74-83
Gerry, A.C., Sarto, I., Monteys, V., Moreno Vidal, J.O., Francino, O., Mullens, B.A., Biting rates of Culicoides midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) on sheep in northeastern Spain in relation to midge capture using UV light and carbon dioxide-baited traps (2009) Journal of Medical Entomology, 46, pp. 615-624
Goetghebuer, M., Métamorphoses et moeurs du Culicoides pulicaris (1919) Bulletin Annales de la Societé Entomologique de Belgique, 59, pp. 25-30
Goffredo, M., Monaco, F., Capelli, G., Schmallenberg virus in Italy: a retrospective survey in Culicoides stored during the bluetongue Italian surveillance program (2013) Preventive Veterinary Medicine, 111, pp. 230-236
Hoffmann, B., Bauer, B., Bauer, C., Monitoring of putative vectors of bluetongue virus serotype 8, Germany (2009) Emerging and Infectious Diseases, 15, pp. 1481-1484
Hoffmann, B., Scheuch, M., Höper, D., Novel orthobunyavirus in cattle, Europe, 2011 (2012) Emerging and Infectious Diseases, 18, pp. 469-472
Hörbrand, T., Geier, M., Monitoring of Culicoides at nine locations in southern Germany (2007-2008) (2009) Parasitology Research, 105, pp. 387-392
Johnson, N., Voller, K., Phipps, L.P., Mansfield, K., Fooks, A.R., Rapid molecular detection methods for arboviruses of livestock of importance to northern Europe (2012) Journal of Biomedicine and Biotechnology, 2012, p. 719402
Kaufmann, C., Schaffner, F., Mathis, A., Monitoring of biting midges (Culicoides spp.), the potential vectors of the bluetongue virus, in the 12 climatic regions of Switzerland (2009) Schweizer Archiv für Tierheilkunde Gesellschaft Schweizerischer Tierärzte, 151, pp. 205-213
Kaufmann, C., Steinmann, I.C., Hegglin, D., Schaffner, F., Mathis, A., Spatio-temporal occurrence of Culicoides biting midges in the climatic regions of Switzerland, along with large scale species identification by MALDI-TOF spectrometry (2012) Parasites and Vectors, 5, pp. 246-255
Kettle, D.S., The bionomics and control of Culicoides and Leptoconops (Diptera, Ceratopogonidae = Heleidae) (1962) Annual Review of Entomology, 7, pp. 401-418
Kiel, E., Liebisch, G., Focke, R., Liebisch, A., Werner, D., Monitoring of Culicoides at 20 locations in northwest Germany (2009) Parasitology Research, 105, pp. 351-357
Kirkeby, C., Bodker, R., Stockmarr, A., Enoe, C., Association between land cover and Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) breeding sites in four Danish cattle farms (2010) Entomologica Fennica, 20, pp. 228-232
Kirkeby, C., Stockmarr, A., Bodker, R., Lind, P., Spatio-temporal optimization of sampling for bluetongue vectors (Culicoides) near grazing livestock (2013) Parasites and Vectors, 6, p. 151
Larska, M., Lechowski, L., Grochowska, M., Zmudziński, J.F., Detection of the Schmallenberg virus in nulliparous Culicoides obsoletus/scoticus complex and C. punctatus. The possibility of transovarial virus transmission in the midge population and of a new vector (2013) Veterinary Microbiology, 166, pp. 467-473
Larska, M., Polak, M.P., Grochowska, M., Lechowski, L., Zwiazek, J.S., Zmudziński, J.F., First report of Schmallenberg virus infection in cattle and midges in Poland (2013) Transboundary and Emerging Diseases, 60, pp. 97-101
Macaulay, E.D.M., Tatchell, G.M., Taylor, L.R., The Rothamsted insect survey '12-metre' suction trap (1988) Bulletin of Entomological Research, 78, pp. 121-129
Mehlhorn, H., Walldorf, V., Klimpel, S., First occurrence of Culicoides obsoletus-transmitted bluetongue virus epidemic in central Europe (2007) Parasitology Research, 101, pp. 219-228
Mehlhorn, H., Walldorf, V., Klimpel, S., Bluetongue disease in Germany (2007-2008): monitoring of entomological aspects (2009) Parasitology Research, 105, pp. 313-319
Meiswinkel, R., van Rijn, P., Leijs, P., Goffredo, M., Potential new Culicoides vector of bluetongue virus in northern Europe (2007) Veterinary Record, 161, pp. 564-565
Meiswinkel, R., Baldet, T., De Deken, R., Takken, W., Delécolle, J.C., Mellor, P.S., The 2006 outbreak of bluetongue in northern Europe - the entomological perspective (2008) Preventive Veterinary Medicine, 87, pp. 55-63
Meiswinkel, R., Goffredo, M., Leijs, P., Conte, A., The Culicoides 'snapshot': a novel approach used to assess vector densities widely and rapidly during the 2006 outbreak of bluetongue (BT) in the Netherlands (2008) Preventive Veterinary Medicine, 87, pp. 98-118
Mellor, P.S., Boorman, J., Baylis, M., Culicoides biting midges: their role as arbovirus vectors (2000) Annual Review of Entomology, 45, pp. 307-340
Méroc, E., Poskin, A., van Loo, H., Large-scale cross-sectional serological survey of Schmallenberg virus in Belgian cattle at the end of the first vector season (2013) Transboundary and Emerging Diseases, 60, pp. 4-8
Méroc, E., De Regge, N., Riocreux, F., Caij, A.B., van den Berg, T., van der Stede, Y., Distribution of Schmallenberg virus and seroprevalence in Belgian sheep and goats (2014) Transboundary and Emerging Diseases, 61, pp. 425-431
(2012) A Concise Geography of Belgium, , http://www.atlas-belgique.be/ACGoB.pdf, Academia Press, Ghent & Press Point, Merelbeke. [accessed on 14 May 2014]
Nielsen, S.A., Nielsen, B.O., Chirico, J., Monitoring of biting midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae: Culicoides Latreille) on farms in Sweden during the emergence of the 2008 epidemic of bluetongue (2010) Parasitology Research, 106, pp. 1197-1203
Pérez, J.M., García-Ballester, J.A., López-Olvera, J.R., Serrano, E., Monitoring bluetongue virus vectors in Andalusia (SW Europe): Culicoides species composition and factors affecting capture rates of the biting midge Culicoides imicola (2012) Parasitology Research, 111, pp. 1267-1275
Purse, B.V., Falconer, D., Sullivan, M.J., Impacts of climate, host and landscape factors on Culicoides species in Scotland (2012) Medical and Veterinary Entomology, 26, pp. 168-177
Rasmussen, L.D., Kristensen, B., Kirkeby, C., Rasmussen, T.B., Belsham, G.J., Bødker, R., Bøtner, A., Culicoids as vectors of Schmallenberg virus (2012) Emerging and Infectious Diseases, 18, pp. 1204-1206
Sanders, C.J., Shortall, C.R., Gubbins, S., Influence of season and meteorological parameters on flight activity of Culicoides biting midges (2011) Journal of Applied Ecology, 48, pp. 1355-1364
Savini, G., Goffredo, M., Monaco, F., Bluetongue virus isolations from midges belonging to the Obsoletus complex (Culicoides, Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) in Italy (2005) Veterinary Record, 157, pp. 133-139
Silbermayr, K., Hackländer, K., Doscher, C., Koefer, J., Fuchs, K., A spatial assessment of Culicoides spp. distribution and bluetongue disease risk areas in Austria (2011) Berliner und Münchener Tierärztliche Wochenschrift, 124, pp. 228-235
St George, T.G., Standfast, H.A., Cybinski, D.H., Isolations of akabane virus from sentinel cattle and Culicoides brevitarsis (1978) Australian Veterinary Journal, 54, pp. 558-561
Tschuor, A.C., Kaufmann, C., Schaffner, F., Mathis, A., Occurrence of biting midges (Culicoides spp.) at three different altitudes in an alpine region of Switzerland (2009) Schweizer Archiv für Tierheilkunde Gesellschaft Schweizerischer Tierärzte, 151, pp. 215-221
Vanbinst, T., Vandenbussche, F., Vandemeulebroucke, E., Bluetongue virus detection by real-time RT-PCR in Culicoides captured during the 2006 epizootic in Belgium and development of an internal control (2009) Transboundary and Emerging Diseases, 56, pp. 170-177
Venter, G.J., Labuschagne, K., Hermanides, K.G., Boikanyo, S.N.B., Majatladi, D.M., Morey, L., Comparison of the efficiency of five suction light traps under field conditions in South Africa for the collection of Culicoides species (2009) Veterinary Parasitology, 166, pp. 299-307
Venter, G.J., Labuschagne, K., Boikanyo, S.N., Majatladi, D.M., Morey, L., The effect of 1-octen-3-ol and 4-methylphenol on Culicoides midge numbers collected with suction light traps in South Africa (2011) Veterinary Parasitology, 175, pp. 182-186
Veronesi, E., Antony, F., Gubbins, S., Measurement of the infection and dissemination of bluetongue virus in Culicoides biting midges using a semi-quantitative rt-PCR assay and isolation of infectious virus (2013) PLoS One, 8, p. e70800
Veronesi, E., Henstock, M., Gubbins, S., Implicating Culicoides biting midges as vectors of Schmallenberg virus using semi-quantitative RT-PCR (2013) PLoS One, 8, p. e57747
Vorsprach, B., Meiser, C.K., Werner, D., Balczun, C., Schaub, G.A., Monitoring of Ceratopogonidae in southwest Germany (2009) Parasitology Research, 105, pp. 337-344
Yanase, T., Kato, T., Kubo, T., Isolation of bovine arboviruses from Culicoides biting midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) in southern Japan: 1985-2002 (2005) Journal of Medical Entomology, 42, pp. 63-67
Zimmer, J.Y., Smeets, F., Simonon, G., Fagot, J., Haubruge, E., Francis, F., Losson, B., Are bogs reservoirs for emerging disease vectors? Evaluation of Culicoides populations in the Hautes Fagnes Nature Reserve (Belgium) (2013) PLoS One, 8, p. e66893
