title: Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) midges, the vectors of African horse sickness virus--a host/vector contact study in the Niayes area of Senegal.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  African horse sickness (AHS) is an equine disease endemic to Senegal. The African horse sickness virus (AHSV) is transmitted to the mammalian hosts by midges of the Culicoides Latreille genus. During the last epizootic outbreak of AHS in Senegal in 2007, 1,169 horses died from this disease entailing an estimated cost of 1.4 million euros. In spite of the serious animal health and economic implications of AHS, very little is known about determinants involved in transmission such as contact between horses and the Culicoides species suspected of being its vectors.
  
  
  METHODS
  The monthly variation in host/vector contact was determined in the Niayes area, Senegal, an area which was severely affected by the 2007 outbreak of AHS. A horse-baited trap and two suction light traps (OVI type) were set up at each of five sites for three consecutive nights every month for one year.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 254,338 Culicoides midges collected 209,543 (82.4%) were female and 44,795 (17.6%) male. Nineteen of the 41 species collected were new distribution records for Senegal. This increased the number of described Culicoides species found in Senegal to 53. Only 19 species, of the 41 species found in light trap, were collected in the horse-baited trap (23,669 specimens) largely dominated by Culicoides oxystoma (22,300 specimens, i.e. 94.2%) followed by Culicoides imicola (482 specimens, i.e. 2.0%) and Culicoides kingi (446 specimens, i.e. 1.9%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Culicoides oxystoma should be considered as a potential vector of AHSV in the Niayes area of Senegal due to its abundance on horses and its role in the transmission of other Culicoides-borne viruses.
authors.affiliation: ISRA, Laboratoire National de l'Elevage et de Recherches Vétérinaires, Route Front de Terre, Dakar, Senegal. moussafall08@yahoo.fr.
authors.forename: Moussa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fall
authors.forename: Maryam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Diarra
authors.forename: Assane G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Fall
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Balenghien
authors.forename: Momar T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Seck
authors.forename: Jérémy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bouyer
authors.forename: Claire
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Garros
authors.forename: Geoffrey
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gimonneau
authors.forename: Xavier
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Allène
authors.forename: Iba
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Mall
authors.forename: Jean-Claude
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Delécolle
authors.forename: Ignace
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Rakotoarivony
authors.forename: Mame T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Bakhoum
authors.forename: Ange M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Dusom
authors.forename: Massouka
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ndao
authors.forename: Lassana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Konaté
authors.forename: Ousmane
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Faye
authors.forename: Thierry
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Baldet
mesh_terms: D000355:African Horse Sickness / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission / Q000821:virology*; D000356:African Horse Sickness Virus / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D002519:Ceratopogonidae / Q000821:virology*; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000662:veterinary*; D005260:Female; D006736:Horses; D007303:Insect Vectors / Q000821:virology*; D008297:Male; D012621:Seasons; D012675:Senegal / Q000453:epidemiology