The geographical distribution and first molecular analysis of Culicoides Latreille (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) species in the Southern and Southeastern Turkey during the 2012 outbreak of bovine ephemeral fever.

This study investigated the geographical distribution and molecular analysis of Culicoides species in the Southern and Southeastern Turkey during the 2012 outbreak of bovine ephemeral fever (BEF). The midge specimens caught by Onderstepoort-type light traps from livestock farms were tested for molecular evidence of existence of viral genome. Blood specimens were collected from clinically BEF-suspected acute febrile cattle. Total nucleic acid samples obtained from field specimens were checked against the BEF virus G gene and Culicoides internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS-1) gene. A total of 20,845 Culicoides specimens (20,569 ♀♀, 276 ♂♂) comprising 11 species (Culicoides badooshensis, Culicoides circumscriptus, Culicoides gejgelensis, Culicoides imicola, Culicoides kibunensis, Culicoides longipennis, Culicoides newsteadi, Culicoides nubeculosus, Culicoides odiatus, Culicoides punctatus, Culicoides schultzei, Culicoides spp.) were collected. C. schultzei (18,032) was found as the dominant species and followed by C. imicola (1,857), C. nubeculosus complex (545), and C. circumscriptus (259), respectively. C. kibunensis was identified as new species for this region. PCR positivity of BEF was found 37.14% (13/35) in blood samples whereas no viral genome was obtained from Culicoides specimens. Culicoides spp. ITS-1 gene sequences were analyzed phylogenetically with GenBank ITS-1 sequences. Molecular homology of Culicoides ITS-1 gene was ranged between 62.74 and 71.39%. The results described first molecular detection and phylogenetic analysis of Culicoides ITS-1 gene with reference to the 2012 BEF outbreak in Turkey.