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Stabling and the protection of horses from Culicoides bolitinos (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae), a recently identified vector of African horse sickness

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 March 2007

R. Meiswinkel ,
M. Baylis  and
K. Labuschagne
R. Meiswinkel*
Affiliation:
Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute, Entomology Division, P/Bag X05, Onderstepoort 0110, South Africa
M. Baylis
Affiliation:
Institute for Animal Health, Compton, Newbury, Berkshire, RG20 7NN, UK
K. Labuschagne
Affiliation:
Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute, Entomology Division, P/Bag X05, Onderstepoort 0110, South Africa
*
*Fax: +(27) 12 5656573 E-mail: rudy@moon.ovi.ac.ac.za
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Abstract

The stabling of horses at night reportedly offers protection from African horse sickness and the most significant vector of the disease, Culicoides imicolaKieffer, has been shown to be exophilic. In certain high-lying regions of South Africa, however, C. bolitinos Meiswinkel, may be the major vector of the disease but its entry behaviour into stables is unknown. Accordingly, in the eastern Free State province of South Africa, light trap catches of C. bolitinos inside stables and outside, were compared. Two horse-baited stables, one traditional, and one modern, were used and combinations of stable (old/new), ceiling fans (on/off) and accessibility to Culicoides (stable doors open/closed or windows gauzed/ungauzed) were investigated as treatments. A total of 111,452 Culicoides of 26 species was collected on 60 trap nights; C. bolitinos was dominant (89.1% overall) with C. imicola second in abundance (2.9%). Outside catches were greater on warmer, drier, evenings but were suppressed by high wind speeds. Catches of C. imicola inside stables with doors open, or with windows ungauzed, were less than the numbers captured outside. In contrast, more C. bolitinos were caught in open stables than outside, i.e. open structures may protect horses from the exophilic C. imicola, but may increase attack rates from the endophilic C. bolitinos. The closing of doors and the gauzing of windows, however, led to a 14-fold reduction in numbers of C. bolitinos and C. imicola entering stables. A well-gauzed ‘traditional’ stable was as effective as a closed ‘modern’stable. Ceiling fans had no suppressant effect.

Type
Review Article
Information
Bulletin of Entomological Research , Volume 90 , Issue 6 , December 2000 , pp. 509 - 515
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2000

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