Species diversity, host preference and arbovirus detection of Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) in south-eastern Serbia

2019
Authors
Vasić, Ana
Zdravković, Nemanja

Anita, Dragos
Bojkovski, Jovan
Marinov, Mihai
Mathis, Alexander
Niculaua, Marius
Oslobanu, Elena Luanda

Pavlović, Ivan
Petrić, Dusan
Pflueger, Valentin
Pudar, Dubravka
Savuta, Gheorghe
Simeunović, Predrag
Veronesi, Eva

Silaghi, Cornelia
Anita, Adriana

Anton, Ioana Alexandra

Cimpan, Andrei
Ciuca, Lavinia
Crivei, Luciana
Cojkić, Aleksandar
Davitkov, Darko
Drašković, Vladimir

Gajić, Bojan

Glavinić, Uroš

Ivanescu, Maria-Larisa
Kavran, Mihaela

Lupu, Andrei-Cristian
Mindru, Raluca
Porea, Daniela
Prodanović, Radiša
Radanović, Oliver

Raileanu, Cristian
Raileanu, Stefan
Ristanić, Marko

Roman, Constantin
Stanišić, Ljubodrag

Vaselek, Slavica

Đurić, Miloje
Article (Published version)
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
BackgroundCulicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) is a genus of small biting midges (also known as no-see ums) that currently includes 1368 described species. They are proven or suspected vectors for important pathogens affecting animals such as bluetongue virus (BTV) and Schmallenberg virus (SBV). Currently little information is available on the species of Culicoides present in Serbia. Thus, the aim of this study was to examine species diversity, host preference and the presence of BTV and SBV RNA in Culicoides from the Stara Planina Nature Park in south-eastern Serbia.ResultsIn total 19,887 individual Culicoides were collected during three nights of trapping at two farm sites and pooled into six groups (Obsoletus group, Pulicaris group, Others group and further each group according to the blood-feeding status to freshly engorged and non-engorged). Species identification was done on subsamples of 592 individual Culicoides specimens by morphological and molecular methods (MALDI-TOF mass ...spectrometry and PCR/sequencing). At least 22 Culicoides species were detected. Four animal species (cow, sheep, goat and common blackbird) as well as humans were identified as hosts of Culicoides biting midges. The screening of 8291 Culicoides specimens in 99 pools for the presence of BTV and SBV RNA by reverse-transcription quantitative PCR were negative.ConclusionsThe biodiversity of Culicoides species in the natural reserve Stara Planina was high with at least 22 species present. The presence of C. imicola Kieffer was not recorded in this area. Culicoides showed opportunistic feeding behaviour as determined by host preference. The absence of SBV and BTV viral RNA correlates with the absence of clinical disease in the field during the time of sampling. These data are the direct outcome of a training programme within the Institutional Partnership Project AMSAR: Arbovirus monitoring, research and surveillance-capacity building on mosquitoes and biting midges funded by the programme SCOPES of the Swiss National Science Foundation.
Keywords:
Culicoides spp / BTV / SBV / Host preference / Serbia / Capacity building / Train the trainers conceptSource:
Parasites & Vectors, 2019, 12, 61-Publisher:
- BMC, London
Projects:
- SCOPES programme of the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNFS)
- Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC)
DOI: 10.1186/s13071-019-3292-3
ISSN: 1756-3305
PubMed: 30683145