title: Epizootic haemorrhagic disease in Italy: vector competence of indigenous Culicoides species and spatial multicriteria evaluation of vulnerability.
abstract: Epizootic haemorrhagic disease (EHD) is an infectious non-contagious viral disease transmitted by Culicoides, which affects wild and domestic ruminants. The disease has never been reported in Europe, however recently outbreaks of EHD occurred in the Mediterranean Basin. Consequently, the risk that Epizootic haemorrhagic disease virus (EHDV) might spread in Italy cannot be ignored. The aim of this study was to evaluate the risk of EHDV transmission in Italy, in case of introduction, through indigenous potential vectors. In Italy, the most spread and abundant Culicoides species associated to livestock are Culicoides imicola and the members of the Obsoletus complex. Culicoides imicola is a competent vector of EHDV, whereas the vector status of the Obsoletus complex has not been assessed yet. Thus, its oral susceptibility to EHDV was here preliminary evaluated. To evaluate the risk of EHDV transmission a geographical information system-based Multi-Criteria Evaluation approach was adopted. Distribution of vector species and host density were used as predictors of potential suitable areas for EHDV transmission, in case of introduction in Italy. This study demonstrates that the whole peninsula is suitable for the disease, given the distribution and abundance of hosts and the competence of possible indigenous vectors.
authors.affiliation: Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e del Molise 'G. Caporale'.
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Federici
authors.forename: Carla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ippoliti
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Goffredo
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Catalani
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Di Provvido
authors.forename: Adriana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Santilli
authors.forename: Michela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Quaglia
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mancini
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Di Nicola
authors.forename: Annapia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Di Gennaro
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Leone
authors.forename: Liana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Teodori
authors.forename: Annamaria
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Conte
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Savini
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002519:Ceratopogonidae / Q000821:virology*; D040362:Geographic Information Systems; D018164:Hemorrhagic Disease Virus, Epizootic; D007303:Insect Vectors / Q000821:virology*; D007558:Italy; D012088:Reoviridae Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission*; D018570:Risk Assessment