Measurement of the Infection and Dissemination of Bluetongue Virus in Culicoides Biting Midges Using a Semi-Quantitative RT-PCR Assay and Isolation of Infectious Virus

Veronesi, E; Antony, F; Gubbins, S; Golding, N; Blackwell, A; Mertens, P P C; Brownlie, J; Darpel, K E; Mellor, P S; Carpenter, S

Abstract

Culicoides biting midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) are the biological vectors of globally significant arboviruses of livestock including bluetongue virus (BTV), African horse sickness virus (AHSV) and the recently emerging Schmallenberg virus (SBV). From 2006–2009 outbreaks of BTV in northern Europe inflicted major disruption and economic losses to farmers and several attempts were made to implicate Palaearctic Culicoides species as vectors. Results from these studies were difficult to interpret as they used semi-quantitative RT-PCR (sqPCR) assays as the major diagnostic tool, a technique that had not been validated for use in this role. In this study we validate the use of these assays by carrying out time-series detection of BTV RNA in two colony species of Culicoides and compare the results with the more traditional isolation of infectious BTV on cell culture.

Citation

Veronesi, E., Antony, F., Gubbins, S., Golding, N., Blackwell, A., Mertens, P. P. C., …Carpenter, S. (in press). Measurement of the Infection and Dissemination of Bluetongue Virus in Culicoides Biting Midges Using a Semi-Quantitative RT-PCR Assay and Isolation of Infectious Virus. PLoS ONE, 8(8), e70800. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0070800

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jun 24, 2013
• Deposit Date: Nov 11, 2014
• Publicly Available Date: Feb 11, 2019
• Journal: PLoS One
• Publisher: Public Library of Science
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 8
• Issue: 8
• Pages: e70800
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0070800
• Public URL: https://rvc-repository.worktribe.com/output/1409101
• Additional Information: Corporate Creators : Advanced Pest Solutions, Pirbright, Surrey