Ankita Sarkar, Paramita Banerjee and Abhijit Mazumdar
The medico-veterinary importance of the biting midges Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) lies in the fact that they vector a multitude of arboviruses, protozoa, and nematodes among livestock, wild ruminants as well as humans. Bluetongue (BT) is a non-contagious viral disease causing morbidity and mortality in affected wild ruminants and livestock. Frequent outbreaks of this disease have caused substantial economic losses, particularly in the southern states of India.
BT's controlling strategy is confined to developing vaccines in disease-prone states and has overlooked these potentially neglected virus-transmitting agents. In India, the majority of studies are seroprevalence-based and largely overlooked the significance of knowledge about the biology and ecology of these vectors. Among 84 species reported from India, seven are designated as bluetongue virus (BTV) vectors. An information regarding biosystematics and bionomics of these vector species, i.e., C. peregrinus Kieffer, C. oxystoma Kieffer, C. actoni Smith, C. brevitarsis Kieffer, C. fulvus Sen & Das Gupta, C. imicola Kieffer, and C. orientalis Macfie will not only provide a better insight for their control but also render a comprehensive idea of their epidemiologically significant vector competence and vectorial capacity. This review stitches together the information generated on biology and ecology of Culicoides, the neglected vectors prevalent in India.
Ankita Sarkar, Paramita Banerjee and Abhijit Mazumdar, 2023. A Review of the Biology and Ecology of Culicoides Vectors (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) Abundant in India. Journal of Medical Arthropodology & Public Health 3(2): 9–25.