High relative abundance of the stable fly Stomoxys calcitrans is associated with lumpy skin disease outbreaks in Israeli dairy farms

Abstract

The vector of lumpy skin disease (LSD), a viral disease affecting Bovidae, is currently unknown. To evaluate the possible vector of LSD virus (LSDV) under field conditions, a yearlong trapping of dipterans was conducted in dairy farms that had been affected by LSD, 1-2 years previously. This was done in order to calculate monthly relative abundances of each dipteran in each farm throughout the year. The relative abundances of Stomoxys calcitrans (Diptera: Muscidae) in the months parallel to the outbreaks (December and April) were significantly higher than those of other dipterans. A stable fly population model based on weather parameters for the affected area was used to validate these findings. Its results were significantly correlated with S. calcitrans abundance. This model, based on weather parameters during the epidemic years showed that S. calcitrans populations peaked in the months of LSD onset in the studied farms. These observations and model predictions revealed a lower abundance of stable flies during October and November, when LSD affected adjacent grazing beef herds. These findings therefore suggest that S. calcitrans is a potential vector of LSD in dairy farms and that another vector is probably involved in LSDV transmission in grazing herds. These findings should be followed up with vector competence studies.

Detection of vaccine-like lumpy skin disease virus in cattle and Musca domestica L. flies in an outbreak of lumpy skin disease in Russia in 2017

“…A recent study by Kahana‐Sutin et al. () indicated that in Israel, the abundance of S. calcitrans statistically correlates with the occurrence of LSDV; however, the true role for the stable fly in LSDV epidemiology still remains obscure (Chihota et al., ). In Russia, the stable fly occurs only in late July–early August (Aubakirov, ), but the outbreak began in early July, which also conflicts with the biological cycle of S. calcitrans in that region, as LSDV outbreaks may start appearing as early as spring (Sprygin et al, ).…”

“…In another study, Chihota, Rennie, Kitching, and Mellor () demonstrated mechanical transmission of LSDV by Aedes aegypti L., suggesting that other blood‐sucking insects may also be capable to this type of transmission. One of these, the stable fly ( Stomoxys calcitrans L.) was statistically correlated with the onset of LSDV incidence, but in the same study, the authors implicated a yet unidentified vector operating in grazing herds (Kahana‐Sutin, Klement, Lensky, & Gottlieb, ). Other dipteran species such as Culicoides nubeculosus Meigen (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae ), Culex quinquefasciatus Say (Diptera: Culicidae ) and Anopheles stephensi Liston (Diptera: Culicidae ) failed to become infected with virus following an infective blood meal (Chihota, Rennie, Kitching, & Mellor, ).…”

Lumpy skin disease: scientific and technical assistance on control and surveillance activities

“…Appropriate functional forms for F, E, L and P were obtained from experiments using laboratory colonies of S. calcitrans (Lysyk, 1998;Kahana-Sutin et al, 2017). Appropriate functional forms for F, E, L and P were obtained from experiments using laboratory colonies of S. calcitrans (Lysyk, 1998;Kahana-Sutin et al, 2017).…”

Lumpy skin disease

“…The marked seasonality of LSD in the temperate zones was previously observed in outbreaks which occurred in Turkey, in Israel and in the Balkans (Sevik et al., ; Kahana‐Sutin et al., ; Mercier et al., ). This seasonality was well explained by the change in the abundance of Stomoxys calcitrans (Kahana‐Sutin et al., ; Gubbins et al., ).…”