Chapter 13 - Biting Midges (Ceratopogonidae)

Abstract

Biting midges are small blood-sucking flies, so small that they are also called no-see-ums. The family Ceratopogonidae includes over 6,000 described species worldwide. The most important genus of biting midges of medical-veterinary interest is Culicoides. As a group they transmit a number of pathogens and parasites, including viruses, protozoans, and filarial nematodes. Of particular public-health importance are the following: Oropouche fever (virus) and mansonellosis (filarial nematodes of the genus Mansonella, notably M. ozzardi, M. perstans, and M. streptocerca). Of particular veterinary importance, including wildlife, are: bluetongue disease (virus, affecting sheep and cattle); epizootic hemorrhagic disease (virus, affecting deer and cattle); African horse sickness (virus, affecting domestic horses and wild equines); blood parasites of domestic and wild birds (protozoans, e.g., Haemoproteus meleagridis of domestic and wild turkeys; Leucocytozoon caulleyeri of chickens); equine onchocerciasis (filarial nematode, Onchocerca cervicalis, of horses); and equine allergic dermatitis (sensitivity to bites by Culicoides spp.; also called sweet itch and Queensland itch).