title: High relative abundance of the stable fly Stomoxys calcitrans is associated with lumpy skin disease outbreaks in Israeli dairy farms.
abstract: The vector of lumpy skin disease (LSD), a viral disease affecting Bovidae, is currently unknown. To evaluate the possible vector of LSD virus (LSDV) under field conditions, a yearlong trapping of dipterans was conducted in dairy farms that had been affected by LSD, 1-2 years previously. This was done in order to calculate monthly relative abundances of each dipteran in each farm throughout the year. The relative abundances of Stomoxys calcitrans (Diptera: Muscidae) in the months parallel to the outbreaks (December and April) were significantly higher than those of other dipterans. A stable fly population model based on weather parameters for the affected area was used to validate these findings. Its results were significantly correlated with S. calcitrans abundance. This model, based on weather parameters during the epidemic years showed that S. calcitrans populations peaked in the months of LSD onset in the studied farms. These observations and model predictions revealed a lower abundance of stable flies during October and November, when LSD affected adjacent grazing beef herds. These findings therefore suggest that S. calcitrans is a potential vector of LSD in dairy farms and that another vector is probably involved in LSDV transmission in grazing herds. These findings should be followed up with vector competence studies.
authors.affiliation: Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kahana-Sutin
authors.affiliation: Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Klement
authors.affiliation: Department of Geography and Environment, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Lensky
authors.affiliation: Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gottlieb
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D003612:Dairying; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000662:veterinary*; D007303:Insect Vectors / Q000502:physiology* / Q000821:virology; D007557:Israel / Q000453:epidemiology; D008166:Lumpy Skin Disease / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000821:virology; D008167:Lumpy skin disease virus / Q000502:physiology; D009117:Muscidae / Q000502:physiology* / Q000821:virology; D011156:Population Density; D012621:Seasons
keywords: Stomoxys calcitrans; cattle; climate; haematophagous dipteran; lumpy skin disease; mechanical transmission; stable fly population model; vector-borne diseases