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Home / Equine Research Bank / Parasitol Res / Activity of Culicoides spp. (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) insid...
Parasitology research2017; 116(3); 881-889; doi: 10.1007/s00436-016-5361-2

Activity of Culicoides spp. (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) inside and outside of livestock stables in late winter and spring.

Abstract: Culicoides Latreille, 1809 midge species are the putative vectors of Bluetongue virus (BTV) and Schmallenberg virus (SBV) in Europe. To gain a better understanding of the epidemiology of the diseases, basic knowledge about the overwintering of the vectors is needed. Therefore, we investigated culicoid activity in relation to air temperature at livestock stables during late winter and spring season. Ceratopogonids were captured weekly indoors and outdoors on three cattle farms, three horse farms and one sheep farm in the federal state of Brandenburg, Germany between January and May, 2015 by BG-Sentinel UV-light suction traps. First seasonal activity was measured inside a sheep barn and cattle stables in mid-March, suggesting the existence of a preceding vector-free period. The first species at all trapping sites were members of the Obsoletus Complex followed by Culicoides punctatus (Meigen), 1804 and Culicoides pulicaris (Linnaeus), 1758 simultaneously. In total, 160 collections were made, including 3465 Culicoides specimens with 2790 (80.6%) of them being members of the Obsoletus Complex. The remaining 675 individuals belonged to six other culicoid species. 59.8% of all Culicoides were collected indoors, and almost five times as many midges were sampled on cattle farms as on horse farms. Cattle farms harboured seven species while only two species were found on the horse and the sheep farms, respectively. Temperatures, husbandry practises and the presence/quality of potential breeding sites might be responsible for the difference in species and numbers of caught specimens between livestock holdings.
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Publication Date: 2017-01-04 PubMed ID: 28054179PubMed Central: PMC5313592DOI: 10.1007/s00436-016-5361-2Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • Journal Article

Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

The research investigates the behavior and distribution of Culicoides (midges) species in and around livestock stables during late winter and spring, to better understand their role as Bluetongue and Schmallenberg virus vectors in Europe.

Study Overview

  • The study is aimed at understanding the behavior and distribution of different species of Culicoides (commonly known as midges), which are known to transmit the Bluetongue and Schmallenberg viruses among livestock in Europe.
  • The researchers conducted this study between January and May 2015 in the federal state of Brandenburg, Germany.
  • They monitored the activity of midges in relation to air temperature in various livestock stables, focusing on the late winter and spring seasons when these insects are most active.
  • The survey was conducted in seven farms, three of which housed cattle, three with horses, and one with sheep. Midges were trapped at these locations using UV-light suction traps both inside and outside the stables.

Key Findings

  • The researchers found the midges were first active in the middle of March, indicating that there was a vector-free period preceding this activity.
  • The most commonly observed species were the members of the Obsoletus Complex (80.6% of samples). The remaining 19.4% consisted of Culicoides punctatus, Culicoides pulicaris, and six other species.
  • More midges were captured indoors (59.8%) than outdoors and they were found to be almost five times more prevalent on cattle farms as opposed to horse farms.
  • Furthermore, the variety of species differed depending on the type of livestock housed at the farm. Seven midge species were recorded at cattle farms while only two species were found at horse and sheep farms.
  • The researchers speculated that the differences in species number and abundance were related to temperatures, farming practices, and the quality and presence of potential breeding sites.

Implications of the Study

  • This study provides new insights into the overwintering behavior and species distribution of midges, which are critical for a better understanding of the transmission of the Bluetongue and Schmallenberg viruses in European livestock.
  • These findings can help farm owners and public health officials mitigate the spread of these viruses by implementing better farm management practices, especially during the late winter and spring seasons.
  • They can also contribute to the development of more effective vector control strategies to protect livestock from diseases transmitted by midges.

Cite This Article

APA
Kameke D, Kampen H, Walther D. (2017). Activity of Culicoides spp. (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) inside and outside of livestock stables in late winter and spring. Parasitol Res, 116(3), 881-889. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-016-5361-2

Publication

Parasitology research
ISSN: 1432-1955
NlmUniqueID: 8703571
Country: Germany
Language: English
Volume: 116
Issue: 3
Pages: 881-889

Researcher Affiliations

Kameke, Daniela
  • Institute of Land Use Systems, Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF), Eberswalder Str. 84, 15374, Müncheberg, Germany. daniela.kameke@zalf.de.
Kampen, Helge
  • Institute of Infectology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute (FLI), Südufer 10, 17493, Greifswald, Germany.
Walther, Doreen
  • Institute of Land Use Systems, Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF), Eberswalder Str. 84, 15374, Müncheberg, Germany.

MeSH Terms

  • Animal Husbandry / instrumentation
  • Animals
  • Bluetongue / transmission
  • Bluetongue / virology
  • Bluetongue virus / physiology
  • Cattle
  • Ceratopogonidae / physiology
  • Ceratopogonidae / virology
  • Europe
  • Germany
  • Horses
  • Insect Vectors / physiology
  • Insect Vectors / virology
  • Livestock / growth & development
  • Seasons
  • Sheep
  • Sheep, Domestic
  • Temperature

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.

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Citations

This article has been cited 6 times.
  1. Groschupp S, Kampen H, Werner D. Occurrence of putative Culicoides biting midge vectors (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) inside and outside barns in Germany and factors influencing their activity.. Parasit Vectors 2023 Aug 31;16(1):307.
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  2. Wessels JE, Ishida Y, Rivera NA, Stirewalt SL, Brown WM, Novakofski JE, Roca AL, Mateus-Pinilla NE. The Impact of Variation in the Toll-like Receptor 3 Gene on Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease in Illinois Wild White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus).. Genes (Basel) 2023 Feb 8;14(2).
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  3. Hassine TB, Sghaier S, Thabet S, Ammar HH, Hammami S. Role of eco-climatic factors in the distribution of bluetongue in endemic areas in Tunisia.. Open Vet J 2022 Jan-Feb;12(1):114-123.
    doi: 10.5455/OVJ.2022.v12.i1.14pubmed: 35342732google scholar: lookup
  4. Kameke D, Kampen H, Wacker A, Werner D. Field studies on breeding sites of Culicoides LATREILLE (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) in agriculturally used and natural habitats.. Sci Rep 2021 May 11;11(1):10007.
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  5. Bernotienė R, Bartkevičienė G, Bukauskaitė D. The flying activity of biting midges (Ceratopogonidae: Culicoides) in Verkiai Regional Park, southeastern Lithuania.. Parasitol Res 2021 Jul;120(7):2323-2332.
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