title: Seasonal dynamics of Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) biting midges, potential vectors of African horse sickness and bluetongue viruses in the Niayes area of Senegal.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The African horse sickness epizootic in Senegal in 2007 caused considerable mortality in the equine population and hence major economic losses. The vectors involved in the transmission of this arbovirus have never been studied specifically in Senegal. This first study of the spatial and temporal dynamics of the Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) species, potential vectors of African horse sickness in Senegal, was conducted at five sites (Mbao, Parc Hann, Niague, Pout and Thies) in the Niayes area, which was affected by the outbreak.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two Onderstepoort light traps were used at each site for three nights of consecutive collection per month over one year to measure the apparent abundance of the Culicoides midges.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In total, 224,665 specimens belonging to at least 24 different species (distributed among 11 groups of species) of the Culicoides genus were captured in 354 individual collections. Culicoides oxystoma, Culicoides kingi, Culicoides imicola, Culicoides enderleini and Culicoides nivosus were the most abundant and most frequent species at the collection sites. Peaks of abundance coincide with the rainy season in September and October.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In addition to C. imicola, considered a major vector for the African horse sickness virus, C. oxystoma may also be involved in the transmission of this virus in Senegal given its abundance in the vicinity of horses and its suspected competence for other arboviruses including bluetongue virus. This study depicted a site-dependent spatial variability in the dynamics of the populations of the five major species in relation to the eco-climatic conditions at each site.
authors.affiliation: Institut Sénégalais de Recherches Agricoles, Laboratoire National de l'Elevage et de Recherches Vétérinaires, Dakar, Sénégal. myriem85@yahoo.fr.
authors.forename: Maryam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Diarra
authors.forename: Moussa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fall
authors.forename: Assane G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Fall
authors.forename: Aliou
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Diop
authors.forename: Momar Talla
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Seck
authors.forename: Claire
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Garros
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Balenghien
authors.forename: Xavier
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Allène
authors.forename: Ignace
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Rakotoarivony
authors.forename: Renaud
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lancelot
authors.forename: Iba
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Mall
authors.forename: Mame Thierno
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Bakhoum
authors.forename: Ange Michel
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Dosum
authors.forename: Massouka
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ndao
authors.forename: Jérémy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bouyer
authors.forename: Hélène
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Guis
mesh_terms: D000355:African Horse Sickness / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission / Q000821:virology; D000356:African Horse Sickness Virus / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D001820:Bluetongue virus / Q000502:physiology*; D002519:Ceratopogonidae / Q000502:physiology*; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D006736:Horses; D007303:Insect Vectors / Q000821:virology*; D011157:Population Dynamics; D012621:Seasons; D012675:Senegal / Q000453:epidemiology; D013045:Species Specificity; D013997:Time Factors