Presence in the Balearic Islands (Spain) of the midges Culicoides imicola and Culicoides obsoletus group

Abstract

Abstract. An outbreak of the livestock viral disease bluetongue (BT) was detected during September and October 2000 in the Balearic Islands, Spain. Due to the lack of information about the species of Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) reported in the affected area, six farms in Majorca, four in Minorca and one in Ibiza were selected to carry out surveillance of Culicoides adults using light traps. Here, for the first time, we report the presence in the Balearic Islands of Culicoides imicola Keiffer, the main vector of BT, and the Culicoides obsoletus Meigen group.

First record of Culicoides imicola, the main vector of bluetongue virus in Europe, in the Basque Country (northern Spain)

“…The most abundant species was Culicoides obsoletus-scoticus (96·2 per cent) followed by Culicoides lupicaris (3 per cent), Culicoides pulicaris (0·3 per cent), Culicoides punctatus (0·2 per cent), Culicoides chiopterus (0·1 per cent), Culicoides dewulfi (0·08 per cent), Culicoides newsteadi (0·06 per cent), C imicola (0·014 per cent), Culicoides festivipennis (0·014 per cent), Culicoides kibunensis (0·002 per cent), Culicoides comosioculatus (0·002 per cent) and Culicoides stigma (0·002 per cent). The identification of C lupicaris , C comosioculatus and C stigma represent the first time these species have been recorded from the Iberian Peninsula (Rawlings 1996, Delecolle 2002, Miranda and others 2003, Sarto i Monteys and others 2005). …”

Regulatory issues surrounding the temporary authorisation of animal vaccination in emergency situations: the example of bluetongue in Europe

“…1). Between 1998 and 2004, when there were incursions of BTV into the Mediterranean Basin, the Balkans and beyond (Table I), the disease penetrated into areas where C. imicola does not occur, thus incriminating novel vectors (3,8,12,42,62,64,119). This was confirmed subsequently when the causative virus was isolated from mixed pools of the two species Culicoides obsoletus (Meigen) and Culicoides scoticus (Downes and Kettle) collected in central Italy (92,93) and from Culicoides pulicaris (Linnaeus) in Sicily (11).…”

Opinion of the Scientific Panel on Animal Health and Welfare (AHAW) on request from the Commission on bluetongue vectors and vaccines

“…These have culminated in the fairly detailed mapping of the distribution and seasonality of C. imicola and, in some cases, also of the Obsoletus and Pulicaris species complexes. Countries for which fairly comprehensive data have been accumulated are Morocco , Spain (Rawlings et al, 1997;Ortega et al, 1999;Sarto i Monteys and Saiz-Ardanaz, 2003;Calvete et al, 2006), Portugal (Capela et al, 1993;, the Balearic Isles (Miranda et al, 2003(Miranda et al, , 2004, Corsica , Italy Conte et al, 2003;Calistri et al, 2003;Meiswinkel et al, 2007 in press) and Greece (Patakakis, 2004). …”