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ARS Home » Plains Area » Manhattan, Kansas » Center for Grain and Animal Health Research » ABADRU » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #379878
Research Project: Biology and Management of Dipteran Pests of Livestock and Other Animals

Location: Arthropod-borne Animal Diseases Research

Title: Effect of bluetongue virus infection on blood meal feeding behavior in female Culicoides sonorensis

Author
item HALL, BRANDON - Kansas State University
item ROZO-LOPEZ, PAULA - Kansas State University
item Drolet, Barbara
item Nayduch, Dana

Submitted to: Entomological Society of America Annual Meeting
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/9/2020
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Female Culicoides sonorensis midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) are well-known vectors of bluetongue virus (BTV; Orbivirus), which causes bluetongue (BT) disease. BT can cause severe morbidity and mortality in wild and domestic ruminants leading to significant economic losses for U.S. agriculture. Previous studies have shown that orbiviruses infect sensory organs of infected Culicoides, which may affect sensory perception including host detection and other behaviors. We hypothesized that this change in sensory perception may be reflected by a change in the feeding behavior of BTV-infected midges. Given that febrile responses frequently accompany the viremic period of BTV infections in animals, we evaluated blood meal temperature preferences of BTV-infected and uninfected C. sonorensis females. Preliminary results showed a trend that midges, irrespective of treatment, preferred to feed on warmer blood for their first blood meal. The effect of BTV infection status on other aspects of C. sonorensis blood-feeding behavior, and the possible impact to orbivirus transmission, will be discussed.