Skip to main content

Advertisement

Log in

Characteristics of Wind-Infective Farms of the 2006 Bluetongue Serotype 8 Epidemic in Northern Europe

  • Original Contribution
  • Published:
EcoHealth Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Bluetongue is a Culicoides-borne viral disease of livestock. In 2006, northern Europe experienced a major outbreak of this disease with devastating effects on the livestock industry. The outbreak quickly spread over the region, primarily affecting cattle and sheep. A previous analysis of the role of vector flight and wind in the spread of this virus across northern Europe indicated that infection at 1,326 (65%) of the reported infected farms could be traced back to just 599 (29%) farms (wind-infective farms). Rather than focusing on presence or absence of vectors or difference between infected and non-infected farms, we investigate the zoological and environmental characteristics of these 599 wind-infective farms (which can be thought of as super-spreaders) in order to characterize what makes them distinct from non-infective farms. Differences in temperature, precipitation, and the density of sheep at individual farms were identified between these two groups. These environmental and zoological factors are known to affect vector abundance and may have promoted bluetongue virus transmission. Identifying such ecological differences can help in the description and quantification of relative risk in affected areas.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Figure 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Alonso, D., Bouma, M.J., & Pascual, M. (2011) Epidemic Malaria and warmer temperatures in recent decades in an East African highland. Proceedings of the Royal Society - Biology278, 1661-1669.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Baylis, M., Parkin, H., Kreppel, K., Carpenter, S., Mellor, P.S. & McIntyre, K.M. (2010) Evaluation of housing as a means to protect cattle from Culicoides biting midges, the vectors of bluetongue virus. Medical and Veterinary Entomology, 24, 38-45.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Burgin, L.E., Gloster, J., Sanders, C., Mellor, P.S., Gubbins, S. & Carpenter, S. (2013) Investigating incursions of bluetongue virus using a model of long-distance Culicoides biting midge dispersal. Transboundary and Emerging Diseases, 60, 263-272.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Calvete, C., Estrada, R., Miranda, M.A., Borras, D., Calvo, J.H. & Lucientes, J. (2009) Ecological correlates of bluetongue virus in Spain: Predicted spatial occurrence and its relationship with the observed abundance of the potential Culicoides spp. vector. Veterinary Journal (London, England: 1997), 182, 235-243.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Carpenter S., Wilson A., Barber J., Veronesi E., Mellor P., Veter, G., & Gubbins, S. (2011) Temperature Dependence of the Extrinsic Incubation Period of Orbiviruses in Culicoides Biting Midges. PLoS ONE, 6(11): e27987.doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0027987

    Article  PubMed Central  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Carpenter, S., Wilson, A. & Mellor, P.S. (2009) Culicoides and the emergence of bluetongue virus in northern Europe. Trends in Microbiology, 17, 172-178.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Center for International Earth Science Information Network. (2005) Gridded Population of the World Version 3 (GPWv3), Palisades, NY, Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center (SEDAC).

    Google Scholar 

  • Dye, C. & Hasibeder, G. (1986) Population-dynamics of mosquito-borne disease - effects of flies which bite some people more frequently than others. Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 80, 69-77.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Elbers, A.R., Backx, A., Mintiens, K., Gerbier, G., Staubach, C., Hendrickx, G. & van der Spek, A. (2008) Field observations during the bluetongue serotype 8 epidemic in 2006. II. Morbidity and mortality rate, case fatality and clinical recovery in sheep and cattle in the Netherlands. Preventive Veterinary Medicine, 87, 31-40.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Faes C., van der Stede Y., Guis H., Staubach C., Ducheyne E., Hendrickx G. & Mintiens, K. (2013) Factors affecting bluetongue serotype 8 spread in northern Europe in 2006: The geographical epidemiology. Preventive Veterinary Medicine 110(2):149-158. doi:10.1016/j.prevetmed.2012.11.026.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ganter M (2014) Bluetongue disease: Global overview and future risks. Small Ruminant Research; Special Issue: Keynote Lectures of the 8th International Sheep Veterinary Congress, 118:79–85.

  • Gerbier, G., Baldet, T., Tran, A., Hendrickx, G., Guis, H., Mintiens, K., Elbers, A.R.W. & Staubach, C. (2008) Modelling local dispersal of bluetongue virus serotype 8 using random walk. Preventive Veterinary Medicine, 87, 119-130.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Harrup, L.E., Gubbins, S., Barber, J., Denison, E., Mellor, P.S., Purse, B.V. & Carpenter, S. (2014) Does covering of farm-associated Culicoides larval habitat reduce adult populations in the United Kingdom? Veterinary Parasitology, 201, 137-145.

    Article  PubMed Central  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hartemink, N.A., Purse, B.V., Meiswinkel, R., Brown, H.E., de Koeijer, A., Elbers, A.R., Boender, G.J., Rogers, D.J. & Heesterbeek, J.A. (2009) Mapping the basic reproduction number (R(0)) for vector-borne diseases: A case study on bluetongue virus. Epidemics, 1, 153-161.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hendrickx, G., Gilbert, M., Staubach, C., Elbers, A., Mintiens, K., Gerbier, G. & Ducheyne, E. (2008) A wind density model to quantify the airborne spread of Culicoides species during north-western Europe bluetongue epidemic, 2006. Preventive Veterinary Medicine, 87, 162-181.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hijmans, R.J., Cameron, S.E., Parra, J.L., Jones, P.G. & Jarvis, A. (2005) Very high resolution interpolated climate surfaces for global land areas. International Journal of Climatology, 25, 1965-1978.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Macdonald, G. (1957) The Epidemiology and Control of Malaria, London, Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mayo, C.E., Osborne, C.J., Mullens, B.A., Gerry, A.C., Gardner, I.A., Reisen, W.K., Barker, C.M. & Maclachlan, N.J. (2014) Seasonal variation and impact of waste-water lagoons as larval habitat on the population dynamics of Culicoides sonorensis (diptera:Ceratpogonidae) at two dairy farms in northern California. PloS One, 9, e89633.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mayo, C.E., Mullens, B.A., Gerry, A.C., Barker, C.M., Mertens, P.P., Maan, S., Maan, N., Gardner, I.A., Guthrie, A.J. & MacLachlan, N.J. (2012) The combination of abundance and infection rates of Culicoides sonorensis estimates risk of subsequent bluetongue virus infection of sentinel cattle on California dairy farms. Veterinary Parasitology, 187, 295-301.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mellor, P.S., Boorman, J., & Baylis, M. (2000). Culicoides biting midges: Their role as arbovirus vectors. Annual Review of Entomology, 45, 307-340.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mullens, B.A., Tabachnick, W.J., Holbrook, F.R. & Thompson, L.H. (1995) Effects of temperature on virogenesis of bluetongue virus serotype 11 in Culicoides variipennis sonorensis. Medical and Veterinary Entomology, 9, 71-76.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Nelson, A. (2008) Estimated Travel Time to the Nearest City of 50,000 Or More People in Year 2000, Ispra, Global Environment Monitoring Unit - Joint Research Centre of the European Commission.

    Google Scholar 

  • Purse, B.V., Brown, H.E., Harrup, L., Mertens, P.P. & Rogers, D.J. (2008) Invasion of bluetongue and other orbivirus infections into Europe: The role of biological and climatic processes. Revue Scientifique Et Technique (International Office of Epizootics), 27, 427-442.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rebetez, M., Dupont, O. & Giroud, M. (2009) An analysis of the July 2006 heatwave extent in Europe compared to the record year of 2003. Theoretical and Applied Climatology. 95, 1-7.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Saegerman, C., Berkvens, D. & Mellor, P.S. (2008) Bluetongue epidemiology in the European Union. Emerging Infectious Diseases, 14, 539-544.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Scharlemann, J.P.W., Benz, D., Hay, S.I., Purse, B.V., Tatem, A.J., Wint, G.R.W. & Rogers, D.J. (2008) Global data for ecology and epidemiology: A novel algorithm for temporal Fourier processing MODIS data. PLoS ONE, 3, 1-13.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sedda, L. & Rogers, D.J. (2013) The influence of the wind in the Schmallenberg virus outbreak in Europe. Scientific Reports, 3, 3361.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sedda, L., Brown, H.E., Purse, B.V., Burgin, L., Gloster, J. & Rogers, D.J. (2012) A new algorithm quantifies the roles of wind and midge flight activity in the bluetongue epizootic in northwest Europe. Proceedings Biological Sciences/the Royal Society, 279, 2354-2362.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • van Doninck, J.; De Baets, B.; Peters, J.; Hendrickx, G.; Ducheyne, E.; Verhoest, N.E. (2014). Modelling the Spatial Distribution of Culicoides imicola: Climatic versus Remote Sensing Data. Remote Sensing. 6, 6604-6619.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • van Velthuizen, H., Huddleston, B., Fischer, G., Salvatore, M., Ataman, E., Nachtergaele, F.O., Za, M. & Bloise, M. (2007) Mapping biophysical factors that influence agricultural production and rural vulnerability. Environment and Natural Resources Anonymous Rome, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

    Google Scholar 

  • Velthuis, A.G., Saatkamp, H.W., Mourits, M.C., de Koeijer, A.A. & Elbers, A.R. (2010) Financial consequences of the Dutch bluetongue serotype 8 epidemics of 2006 and 2007. Preventive Veterinary Medicine, 93, 294-304.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wren, A. E. 1973. Trend Surface Analysis- A Review. Canadian Journal of Exploration Geophysics 9: 39-44.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wint, W. & Robinson, T.P. (2007) Gridded Livestock of the World 2007, Rome, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Heidi E. Brown.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Sedda, L., Morley, D. & Brown, H.E. Characteristics of Wind-Infective Farms of the 2006 Bluetongue Serotype 8 Epidemic in Northern Europe. EcoHealth 12, 461–467 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10393-014-1008-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10393-014-1008-x

Keywords

Navigation