The threat of midge‐borne equine disease: investigation of <i>Culicoides</i> species on UK equine premises

Robin, Matthew; Archer, Debra; Garros, Claire; Gardès, Laëtitia; Baylis, Matthew

doi:10.1136/vr.102151

Cited by 17 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 32 publications

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“…We are not sure if this is due to the coat of the pony being denser and furrier than that of the cow, thus compelling midges to burrow more deeply, with the result that they are not extracted as easily. A similarly low number of freshly blood‐fed midges was obtained recently in a study conducted in England (Robin et al when only three of >1,400 midges captured in light traps operated adjacent to stables were shown to have engorged on the horses nearby. In this instance, the problem may have been technical as the LT is not the optimal tool to use, particularly when dealing with species active during the crepuscular, and in which activity drops off sharply soon after nightfall, especially during more cooler nights that sporadically mark the early part of the season.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 64%

Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) and livestock in the Netherlands: comparing host preference and attack rates on a Shetland pony, a dairy cow, and a sheep

Elbers

Meiswinkel²

2015

Journal of Vector Ecology

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Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) host preferences and attack rates were quantified in early summer at a dairy farm in the Netherlands using livestock tethered at pasture. Midges were aspirated hourly over seven consecutive hours (17:00-23:00) from a dairy cow, a Shetland pony, and a sheep and correspondingly yielded seventeen, thirteen, and nine species. Of the 14,181 midges obtained, approximately 95% belonged to the C. obsoletus complex, C. dewulfi, C. chiopterus, and C. punctatus that together include all proven or potential vectors for arboviral diseases in livestock in northwestern Europe. On average, 7.6 and 3.5 times more Culicoides were collected, respectively, from the cow and the Shetland pony than from the sheep. In descending order of abundance, the C. obsoletus complex, C. dewulfi, and C. chiopterus dominated attacks on all three hosts, whereas C. punctatus and C. pulicaris favored only the two larger hosts. Irrespective of the host species involved, the three body regions attracted the same component species, C. chiopterus favoring the legs, C. punctatus and C. achrayi the belly, and the C. obsoletus complex, C. dewulfi, and C. pulicaris the head, back, and flanks. That known and potential vectors for animal diseases feed indiscriminately on a broad range of mammal hosts means that all major livestock species, including equines, are rendered susceptible to one or more Culicoides-borne pathogens. Journal of Vector Ecology 40 (2): 308-317. 2015.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 64%

Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) and livestock in the Netherlands: comparing host preference and attack rates on a Shetland pony, a dairy cow, and a sheep

Elbers

Meiswinkel²

2015

Journal of Vector Ecology

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“…Within the UK, there have been very few studies that have carried out blood-meal analysis of Culicoides. One study confirmed that potential UK Culicoides vector species of AHSV were blood-feeding on horses, proving a direct host-vector interaction [27]. Another study found that Culicoides impunctatus Goetghebuer, 1920, a species that is generally considered to have a very minor or no role in disease transmission, had fed on cows, sheep, deer and humans in Scotland [28].…”

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confidence: 93%

Culicoides species composition and molecular identification of host blood meals at two zoos in the UK

et al. 2020

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Background: Culicoides biting midges are biological vectors of arboviruses including bluetongue virus (BTV), Schmallenberg virus (SBV) and African horse sickness virus (AHSV). Zoos are home to a wide range of 'at risk' exotic and native species of animals. These animals have a high value both in monetary terms, conservation significance and breeding potential. To understand the risk these viruses pose to zoo animals, it is necessary to characterise the Culicoides fauna at zoos and determine which potential vector species are feeding on which hosts. Methods: Light-suction traps were used at two UK zoos: the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) London Zoo (LZ) and ZSL Whipsnade Zoo (WZ). Traps were run one night each week from June 2014 to June 2015. Culicoides were morphologically identified to the species level and any blood-fed Culicoides were processed for blood-meal analysis. DNA from blood meals was extracted and amplified using previously published primers. Sequencing was then carried out to determine the host species. Results: A total of 11,648 Culicoides were trapped and identified (n = 5880 from ZSL WZ; n = 5768 from ZSL LZ), constituting 25 different species. The six putative vectors of BTV, SBV and AHSV in northern Europe were found at both zoos and made up the majority of the total catch (n = 10,701). A total of 31 host sequences were obtained from blood-fed Culicoides. Culicoides obsoletus/C. scoticus, Culicoides dewulfi, Culicoides parroti and Culicoides punctatus were found to be biting a wide range of mammals including Bactrian camels, Indian rhinoceros, Asian elephants and humans, with Culicoides obsoletus/C. scoticus also biting Darwin's rhea. The bird-biting species, Culicoides achrayi, was found to be feeding on blackbirds, blue tits, magpies and carrion crows. Conclusions: To our knowledge, this is the first study to directly confirm blood-feeding of Culicoides on exotic zoo animals in the UK and shows that they are able to utilise a wide range of exotic as well as native host species. Due to the susceptibility of some zoo animals to Culicoides-borne arboviruses, this study demonstrates that in the event of an outbreak of one of these viruses in the UK, preventative and mitigating measures would need to be taken.

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“…Based on what was learned during these outbreaks, there is little doubt that within northwestern Europe, the Culicoides attacks that all breeds of husbanded livestock endure seasonally combined with the prevailing bioclimatic regime are adequately suited to sustain a future outbreak of AHS (Robin et al, 2014). On the face of it, what would appear to increase the risk is that The Netherlands, along with Belgium, share the densest horse populations in the world (Elbers et al, 2016).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparing Culicoides biting rates in horses and cattle in The Netherlands: potential relevance to African horse sickness epidemiology

Elbers

Gonzáles

Meiswinkel³

2018

Entomologia Exp Applicata

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To determine relative host preference rates and to establish whether a pair of animals in close proximity (between–host interaction) modified Culicoides attack and abundance profiles, compared to those tethered in isolation (host independence), Culicoides midges were pooted hourly from two sets of experimental animals: (1) a heifer cow and Fjord horse tethered close together (5 m apart), and (2) a heifer and Fjord tethered in isolation (45 m apart). Over 12 days, 570 3‐min observations yielded 23 090 midges, representing 24 species. Approximately 95% belonged to the Culicoides obsoletus (Meigen) complex (two species), Culicoides dewulfi Goetghebuer, Culicoides chiopterus (Meigen), Culicoides punctatus (Meigen), Culicoides pulicaris (L.), and Culicoides achrayi Kettle & Lawson (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) combined. There was no evidence for between‐host interaction. Mean Culicoides species‐specific attack rates did not differ between animal species, except that C. chiopterus was 7× more abundant on the legs of the heifer compared to the horse, and C. dewulfi twice as abundant on the upper half of the horse compared to the heifer. By contrast, mean species–specific biting rates of the C. obsoletus complex, C. chiopterus, C. dewulfi, C. punctatus, and C. pulicaris midges were 5×, 100×, 1.7×, 2×, and 2.5× lower in the horses compared to the heifers, respectively. It is not clear why high Culicoides attack rates observed in the horses do not convert into high biting rates as seen in cattle; this should be a subject for future research. In light of its apparent predilection for equids, the ability of C. dewulfi to replicate African horse sickness virus (AHSV) extrinsically should be investigated in the laboratory.

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The threat of midge‐borne equine disease: investigation of Culicoides species on UK equine premises

Cited by 17 publications

References 32 publications

Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) and livestock in the Netherlands: comparing host preference and attack rates on a Shetland pony, a dairy cow, and a sheep

Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) and livestock in the Netherlands: comparing host preference and attack rates on a Shetland pony, a dairy cow, and a sheep

Culicoides species composition and molecular identification of host blood meals at two zoos in the UK

Comparing Culicoides biting rates in horses and cattle in The Netherlands: potential relevance to African horse sickness epidemiology

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