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Culicoides vectors of bluetongue virus in Chester Zoo
Author(s) -
Vilar M. J.,
Guis H.,
Krzywinski J.,
Sanderson S.,
Baylis M.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
veterinary record
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.261
H-Index - 99
eISSN - 2042-7670
pISSN - 0042-4900
DOI - 10.1136/vr.c6684
Subject(s) - culicoides , vector (molecular biology) , ceratopogonidae , serotype , biology , veterinary medicine , virus , zoology , transmission (telecommunications) , virology , medicine , biochemistry , engineering , electrical engineering , gene , recombinant dna
On four nights in June 2008, light traps were operated for Culicoides biting midges, the vector species for bluetongue virus (BTV), at five sites in Chester Zoo in north‐west England. Over 35,000 Culicoides midges, of 25 species, were captured, including high densities inside animal enclosures. Over 94 per cent of all the Culicoides trapped were females of the Obsoletus group, which is implicated as the vector of BTV serotype 8 in northern Europe. The mean catch of this group per trap per night was over 1500, suggesting a potential risk of BTV transmission if the virus is introduced to Chester Zoo in the animals or midges in the summer.