Host preferences of tabanid flies based on identification of blood meals by ELISA.
Abstract: Tabanid flies in Australia are potential vectors of the parasite Trypanosoma evansi which causes the animal disease surra. It is endemic to most of south-east Asia and could enter Australia, but evaluation of the potential impact of a surra incursion requires identification of the major hosts of Australian tabanids. This study investigated the natural pattern of feeding and host preference by tabanid flies of Townsville, north Queensland by identification of ingested blood in trap-caught tabanids using ELISA. The assays were developed for identification of horse, cow, macropod and pig blood meals. Macropods were the most frequent food source for each of six major tabanid species in the area. This did not vary with location for one species, Tabanus pallipennis, despite macropod densities being lower than other hosts such as cattle and horses in some locations. Feeding patterns on other hosts generally depended on availability and density of animals. All tabanid species fed on at least three of the host species tested and mixed meals were also commonly encountered, suggesting a level of opportunistic feeding in addition to a preference for macropods. Some of the blood meals detected were possibly from previous gonotrophic cycles. The results indicate that all tabanid species examined could potentially transmit surra and all the host types investigated could be affected, but macropods face the highest transmission risk.
Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Publication Date: 2010-09-15 PubMed ID: 20884120DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2010.08.040Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
- Research Support
- Non-U.S. Gov't
- Animal Science
- Animal Studies
- Blood
- Diagnosis
- Disease
- Disease control
- Disease Diagnosis
- Disease Management
- Disease Transmission
- Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA)
- Epidemiology
- Equine Health
- Horses
- Infection
- Infectious Disease
- Parasites
- Public Health
- Vector-borne disease
- Veterinary Medicine
- Veterinary Science
- Wildlife
Summary
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The research investigated the feeding patterns and preferred hosts of tabanid flies in Townsville, Australia, which are potential carriers of Trypanosoma evansi, a parasite causing the animal disease surra. The study found that macropods were the most common food source for this type of flies.
Research Background and Purpose
- The study was conducted in response to the potential threat of Trypanosoma evansi, which might enter Australia, jeopardizing its livestock.
- The aim of the study is to identify the primary hosts of Australian tabanid flies, given their potential role as vectors for the parasite.
Methods Used
- The feeding patterns and host preferences of tabanid flies were studied by identifying the blood ingested by flies caught in traps.
- An ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) technique was used to identify the blood meals from different host animals, including horses, cows, macropods, and pigs.
Results and Findings
- Macropods were identified as the most frequent food source for all six major species of tabanid flies in the area.
- One of the species, Tabanus pallipennis, showed a consistent preference for macropods, regardless of their density in different locations.
- The feeding patterns on other hosts, such as cows and horses, generally depended on their availability and density in various locations.
- All tabanid species were found to feed on at least three of the host species tested, and mixed meals were also common, indicating a level of opportunistic feeding along with a preference for macropods.
- The results imply that all the tabanid species studied potentially could transmit surra, and all the host species investigated could be impacted. Therefore, macropods have the highest transmission risk.
Implications of Research
- The findings of the study help to evaluate the possible ramifications of a surra incursion in Australia by identifying potential vectors and hosts.
- It provides valuable insights into the feeding habits of tabanid flies, which could be instrumental in devising strategies for disease prevention and control.
- The research highlights the need to protect macropods as they face a higher risk of surra transmission.
Cite This Article
APA
Muzari MO, Burgess GW, Skerratt LF, Jones RE, Duran TL.
(2010).
Host preferences of tabanid flies based on identification of blood meals by ELISA.
Vet Parasitol, 174(3-4), 191-198.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vetpar.2010.08.040 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, Qld 4811, Australia. Odwell.Muzari@jcu.edu.au
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Diptera / physiology
- Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / veterinary
- Feeding Behavior / physiology
- Mammals / blood
- Species Specificity
Citations
This article has been cited 9 times.- Sontigun N, Boonhoh W, Phetcharat Y, Wongtawan T. First study on molecular detection of hemopathogens in tabanid flies (Diptera: Tabanidae) and cattle in Southern Thailand. Vet World 2022 Aug;15(8):2089-2094.
- Desquesnes M, Sazmand A, Gonzatti M, Boulangé A, Bossard G, Thévenon S, Gimonneau G, Truc P, Herder S, Ravel S, Sereno D, Waleckx E, Jamonneau V, Jacquiet P, Jittapalapong S, Berthier D, Solano P, Hébert L. Diagnosis of animal trypanosomoses: proper use of current tools and future prospects. Parasit Vectors 2022 Jun 27;15(1):235.
- Mwakasungula S, Rougeron V, Arnathau C, Boundenga L, Miguel E, Boissière A, Jiolle D, Durand P, Msigwa A, Mswata S, Olotu A, Sterkers Y, Roche B, Killeen G, Cerqueira F, Bitome-Essono PY, Bretagnolle F, Masanja H, Paupy C, Sumaye R, Prugnolle F. Using haematophagous fly blood meals to study the diversity of blood-borne pathogens infecting wild mammals. Mol Ecol Resour 2022 Nov;22(8):2915-2927.
- Ellis J, Barratt J, Kaufer A, Pearn L, Armstrong B, Johnson M, Park Y, Downey L, Cao M, Neill L, Lee R, Ellis B, Tyler K, Lun ZR, Stark D. A new subspecies of Trypanosoma cyclops found in the Australian terrestrial leech Chtonobdella bilineata. Parasitology 2021 Sep;148(10):1125-1136.
- Simo G, Magang EMK, Mewamba EM, Farikou O, Kamga RMN, Tume C, Solano P, Ravel S. Molecular identification of diminazene aceturate resistant trypanosomes in tsetse flies from Yoko in the Centre region of Cameroon and its epidemiological implications. Parasite Epidemiol Control 2020 May;9:e00135.
- Fermino BR, Paiva F, Viola LB, Rodrigues CMF, Garcia HA, Campaner M, Takata CSA, Sheferaw D, Kisakye JJ, Kato A, Jared CAGS, Teixeira MMG, Camargo EP. Shared species of crocodilian trypanosomes carried by tabanid flies in Africa and South America, including the description of a new species from caimans, Trypanosoma kaiowa n. sp. Parasit Vectors 2019 May 14;12(1):225.
- Bitome-Essono PY, Ollomo B, Arnathau C, Durand P, Mokoudoum ND, Yacka-Mouele L, Okouga AP, Boundenga L, Mve-Ondo B, Obame-Nkoghe J, Mbehang-Nguema P, Njiokou F, Makanga B, Wattier R, Ayala D, Ayala FJ, Renaud F, Rougeron V, Bretagnolle F, Prugnolle F, Paupy C. Tracking zoonotic pathogens using blood-sucking flies as 'flying syringes'. Elife 2017 Mar 28;6.
- Rovie-Ryan JJ, Zainuddin ZZ, Marni W, Ahmad AH, Ambu LN, Payne J. Blood meal analysis of tabanid fly after it biting the rare Sumatran rhinoceros. Asian Pac J Trop Biomed 2013 Feb;3(2):95-9.
- Stelder JJ, Olesen AS, Belsham GJ, Rasmussen TB, Bøtner A, Kjær LJ, Boklund AE, Bødker R. Potential for Introduction of African Swine Fever Virus into High-Biosecurity Pig Farms by Flying Hematophagous Insects. Transbound Emerg Dis 2023;2023:8787621.
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