Blood Meal Analysis of Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) in Central Tunisia

Slama, Darine; Haouas, Najoua; Mezhoud, Habib; Babba, Hamouda; Chaker, E.

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0120528

Cited by 40 publications

(50 citation statements)

References 58 publications

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“…Infections with AHSV in dogs that are ascribed to vector transmission have been documented in South Africa, which supports the susceptibility of canids to the virus and suggests that they may play a role in the transmission of AHSV (van Sittert et al, 2013;O'Dell et al, 2018). Slama et al (2015) and Martínez-de la Puente et al (2017) recently reported that C. imicola fed on dogs in Tunisia and Spain, respectively. The present study found a blood-engorged female of C. gulbenkiani that had fed on a domestic dog at a site dominated by horses living in the proximity of a number of domestic dogs bred for hunting.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 65%

Bloodmeal analysis in Culicoides midges collected near horses, donkeys and zebras in the Eastern Cape, South Africa

Riddin

Venter

Labuschagne

et al. 2019

Medical Vet Entomology

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An upsurge in African horse sickness (AHS) in the Eastern Cape, South Africa, from 2006 led to an epidemiological reassessment of the disease there. Light trapping surveys carried out near horses, donkeys and zebras in 2014–2016 collected 39 species of Culicoides midge (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) that are potential vectors of AHS. To establish if these midges fed on equids, DNA sequences were obtained from the gut contents of 52 female midges (35 freshly blood‐fed, 13 gravid and four parous), representing 11 species collected across 11 sites. Culicoides leucostictus fed on all three equids. Culicoides bolitinos, Culicoides imicola and Culicoides magnus fed on both horses and donkeys. Culicoides onderstepoortensis fed on donkeys, and Culicoides similis and Culicoides pycnostictus fed on zebras. Bloodmeals from cows, pigs, warthogs, impalas and a domestic dog were also identified in various species, but none of the midges tested had fed on birds. These results contribute to knowledge of the vectorial capacity of several species of Culicoides with regard to AHS in the Eastern Cape and point to potential reservoir hosts, of which donkeys, zebras and domestic dogs have previously been found to harbour AHS. Blood‐fed midges were also obtained throughout winter, indicating the potential for endemic AHS in the province.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 65%

Bloodmeal analysis in Culicoides midges collected near horses, donkeys and zebras in the Eastern Cape, South Africa

Riddin

Venter

Labuschagne

et al. 2019

Medical Vet Entomology

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“…In Senegal, C. imicola was found to have a preference for horses when compared with sheep, and to be mostly nocturnal with peak activity after sunset (Fall et al, ). In Tunisia, C. imicola samples collected near human habitats and analysed for Cyt b and prepronociceptin genes showed feeding preferences for humans, goats and sheep (Slama et al, ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Biotic and abiotic factors shape the microbiota of wild‐caught populations of the arbovirus vectorCulicoides imicola

Díaz-Sánchez

Hernández-Jarguín

Torina

et al. 2018

Insect Molecular Biology

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Biting midges of the genus Culicoides are known vectors of arboviruses affecting human and animal health. However, little is known about Culicoides imicola microbiota and its influence on this insect's biology. In this study, the impact of biotic and abiotic factors on C. imicola microbiota was characterized using shotgun-metagenomic sequencing of whole-body DNA samples. Wild-caught C. imicola adult nulliparous females were sampled in two locations from Sicily, Italy. The climatic variables of temperature and soil moisture from both localities were recorded together with potential host bloodmeal sources. Shared core microbiome among C. imicola populations included Pseudomonas, Escherichia, Halomonas, Candidatus Zinderia, Propionibacterium, and Schizosaccharomyces. Specific and unique taxa were also found in C. imicola from each location, highlighting similarities and differences in microbiome composition between the two populations. DNA and protein identification showed differences in host preferences between the two populations, with Homo sapiens and Canis lupus familiaris L. being the preferred bloodmeal source in both locations. A principal component analysis showed that the combined effect of host preferences (H. sapiens) and local soil moisture factors shape the microbiome composition of wild-caught populations of C. imicola. These results contribute to characterizing the role of the microbiome in insect adaptation and its utility in predicting geographic expansion of Culicoides species with potential implications for the control of vector-borne diseases.

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“…Bird‐derived bloodmeals have only occasionally been identified in C. imicola (Braverman et al ., ; Slama et al ., ). Despite the development of methods to identify avian‐derived bloodmeals, bird blood has not been found in previous studies (Nevill & Anderson, ; Walker & Boreham, ) or in the present study.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…For instance, in Senegal, most C. imicola were found to feed on horses, but a percentage of the identified midges also fed on cows (Bakhoum et al, 2016). By contrast, humans were by far the most common hosts of C. imicola in Tunisia, although midges of this species also fed on goats, sheep, dogs and a single bird species (Slama et al, 2015). Using a crossover electrophoresis precipitin test, Venter et al (1996) identified cows, horses, sheep and pigs as hosts of C. imicola females trapped near livestock.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Despite their importance in pathogen amplification, very little is known about the vertebrate hosts of C. imicola in Europe (Martínez‐de la Puente et al ., ; Ruiz‐Fons et al ., ). To the present authors' knowledge, extensive molecular studies have been conducted only in Africa, specifically in Tunisia, where C. imicola feeds mainly on humans [93% of 96 bloodmeals identified based on the amplification of the cythocrome b (cyt b ) and PNOC genes (Slama et al ., )] and in Senegal, where 96% of 26 identified bloodmeals derived from horses [based on cyt b amplifications (Bakhoum et al ., )].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

First molecular identification of the vertebrate hosts ofCulicoides imicolainEurope and a review of its blood‐feeding patterns worldwide: implications for the transmission of bluetongue disease andAfrican horse sickness

Puente

Navarro

Ferraguti

et al. 2017

Medical Vet Entomology

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Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) are vectors of pathogens that affect wildlife, livestock and, occasionally, humans. Culicoides imicola (Kieffer, 1913) is considered to be the main vector of the pathogens that cause bluetongue disease (BT) and African horse sickness (AHS) in southern Europe. The study of blood-feeding patterns in Culicoides is an essential step towards understanding the epidemiology of these pathogens. Molecular tools that increase the accuracy and sensitivity of traditional methods have been developed to identify the hosts of potential insect vectors. However, to the present group's knowledge, molecular studies that identify the hosts of C. imicola in Europe are lacking. The present study genetically characterizes the barcoding region of C. imicola trapped on farms in southern Spain and identifies its vertebrate hosts in the area. The report also reviews available information on the blood-feeding patterns of C. imicola worldwide. Culicoides imicola from Spain feed on blood of six mammals that include species known to be hosts of the BT and AHS viruses. This study provides evidence of the importance of livestock as sources of bloodmeals for C. imicola and the relevance of this species in the transmission of BT and AHS viruses in Europe.

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Blood Meal Analysis of Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) in Central Tunisia

Cited by 40 publications

References 58 publications

Bloodmeal analysis in Culicoides midges collected near horses, donkeys and zebras in the Eastern Cape, South Africa

Bloodmeal analysis in Culicoides midges collected near horses, donkeys and zebras in the Eastern Cape, South Africa

Biotic and abiotic factors shape the microbiota of wild‐caught populations of the arbovirus vectorCulicoides imicola

First molecular identification of the vertebrate hosts ofCulicoides imicolainEurope and a review of its blood‐feeding patterns worldwide: implications for the transmission of bluetongue disease andAfrican horse sickness

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