Abstract
BackgroundCulicoides (Diptera; Ceratoponidae) are tiny, stout, blood-sucking flies with a near worldwide distribution. When present, they are often considered a biting nuisance but in addition, they are involved in the transmission of pathogens to humans, domestic and wild animals. Data on Culicoides species in the South-West region of Cameroon dates back to the 1950s. Over the decades, ecological transformation due to agriculture and deforestation may have affected the population dynamics of Culicoides and therefore our study provides an update of their bio-ecology in the region. Furthermore, the role of various Culicoides species in the transmission of parasitic filariae of the genus Mansonella remains inconclusive in this region. This study was designed to address these unknown issues and expand on current scientific knowledge.ResultsEight species of Culicoides (C. bedfordi, C. inornatipennis, C. fulvithorax, C. grahamii, C. imicola, C. milnei, C. neavei and C. kumbaensis) were collected using light traps and human baits. Culicoides grahamii was the most abundant species, followed closely by C. milnei. Three species (C. milnei, C. grahamii and C. inornatipennis) were common in all observed larval development sites. Only four species (C. inornatipennis, C. fulvithorax, C. grahamii and C. milnei) were collected on humans. Anthropophilic species were more abundant (P < 0.001) in the evening (4–7 pm) when compared to the morning collections (6–9 am). After overnight fly collections using a drop trap with a human microfilaremic donor, C. milnei emerged as the potential host for transmitting Mansonella perstans. Substantial heterogeneity was observed between the trap visiting cycles of the various species (P < 0.001). The biting cycle of the main vector, C. milnei, showed two peaks (10–11 pm and 4–5 am), the highest being 10–11 pm.ConclusionsThe Culicoides fauna of the South-West region of Cameroon has not changed significantly since the 1950s. Culicoides milnei was demonstrated to be the major vector of M. perstans in this part of Cameroon. It is essentially a nocturnal species which peaks in abundance between 10 and 11 pm.
Highlights
Culicoides (Diptera; Ceratoponidae) are tiny, stout, blood-sucking flies with a near worldwide distribution
Species of Culicoides collected with CDC miniature UV‐light traps Eight Culicoides species were collected over a 4 month period at different time points at 7 sites: C. bedfordi (Ingram & Macfie, 1923), C. inornatipennis, C. fulvithorax (Austen, 1909), C. grahamii, C. imicola (Kieffer, 1913), C. milnei (Austen, 1909), C. neavei (Austen, 1912) and C. kumbaensis (Callot, Kremer, Mouchet & Bach, 1965) (Table 2)
Culicoides grahamii represented 41.6% of the 6889 specimens collected by this method and was closely followed by C. milnei (30.7%)
Summary
Culicoides (Diptera; Ceratoponidae) are tiny, stout, blood-sucking flies with a near worldwide distribution When present, they are often considered a biting nuisance but in addition, they are involved in the transmission of pathogens to humans, domestic and wild animals. In areas where Culicoides are abundant they may constitute a biting nuisance to humans, domestic and wild animals [2, 4,5,6,7] Their bites are sometimes associated with allergic skin reactions which in some individuals may result in urticaria. Culicoides are diverse in terms of both affected species and the pathogens they transmit They are involved in the transmission of animal and human viruses as well as animal and human filariae [8]
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