Hostname: page-component-77c89778f8-5wvtr Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-17T18:13:52.288Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Possible windborne spread of bluetongue to Portugal, June–July 1956

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 May 2009

R. F. Sellers
Affiliation:
Animal Virus Research Institute, Pirbright, Woking, Surrey
D. E. Pedgley
Affiliation:
Centre for Overseas Pest Research, London W8 5SJ
M. R. Tucker
Affiliation:
Centre for Overseas Pest Research, London W8 5SJ
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

The possible sources for the epidemic of bluetongue in Portugal at the beginning of July 1956 were examined. Introduction through authorized importation of domestic or wild ruminants was not feasible, since no cattle, sheep or goats were imported and the wild ruminants were confined to Lisbon Zoo, which was too far from the initial outbreaks. Weather maps were examined to see if the wind could have carried infected Culicoides midges from North Africa. On 21 June 1956 infected midges in Morocco could have been taken offshore by southeast winds and then carried by south winds unusual at that time of year to the south coast of Portugal. The 200–300 km sea crossing would have taken some 10 h and been by day when air temperatures near the sea surface were about 18–20 °C. Bluetongue had not been reported at that time in Morocco, and the possibility of the presence of the virus in Moroccan animals without clinical signs is discussed.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1978

References

REFERENCES

Bailly-Choumara, H. & Kremer, M. (1970). Deuxième contribution à l'étude des Culicoides du Maroc (Diptera, Ceratopogonidae). Cahiers Orstom: Series entomologie medical et parasitologie 8, 383–91.Google Scholar
Barbaud, R., Herault, M. & Placidi, L. (1957). Une virose du mouton d'introduction nouvelle en Europe et en Afrique du Nord: la ‘Bluetongue’. Maroc Médical 36, 142–6.Google Scholar
Boino De Azevedo, M. J. & Alface Reis, F. J. (1956). Febre catarral dos ovinos (bluetongue). Revista de Ciencias Veterinarias 51, 301–20.Google Scholar
Braverman, Y. & Galun, R. (1973). The occurrence of Culicoides in Israel with reference to the incidence of bluetongue. Refuah Veterinarith 30, 121–7.Google Scholar
Campano, L. (1957). Rapport sur l'épizootie de fièvre catarrhale ovine ‘langue bleu’ en Espagne. Bulletin de l'office international des épizooties 48, 605–11.Google Scholar
Curasson, G. (1936). In Traité de Pathologie Exotique Vétérinaire et Comparée, Tome 1, Maladies a ultra-virus. Paris: Vigot Frères.Google Scholar
Erasmus, B. J. (1975). Bluetongue in sheep and goats. Australian Veterinary Journal 51, 165–70.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Estrella é Silva, F. (1956). Lingua azul ou febre catarral dos ovinos (blue-tongue). Revista de Ciencias Veterinarias 51, 191231.Google Scholar
Foster, N. M., Jones, R. H. & McCrory, B. R. (1963). Preliminary investigations on insect transmission of bluetongue virus in sheep. American Journal of Veterinary Research 103, 11951200.Google Scholar
Goldsmit, L., Barzilai, E. & Tadmor, A. (1975). The comparative sensitivity of sheep and chicken embryos to bluetongue virus and observations on viraemia in experimentally infected sheep. Australian Veterinary Journal 51, 190–6.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Henderson, W. W. (1945). Veterinary Department Nigeria, Annual Report for the year 1943. Lagos: Government Printer.Google Scholar
Howell, P. G. (1963). Emerging diseases of animals. 3. Bluetongue. FAO Agricultural Studies, no. 61, pp. 109153. Rome: F.A.O.Google Scholar
Jochim, M. M. & Jones, R. H. (1966). Multiplication of bluetongue virus in Culicoides variipennis following artificial infection. American Journal of Epidemiology 84, 241–6.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Jones, R. H. & Foster, N. M. (1966). The transmission of bluetongue virus to embryonating chicken eggs by Culicoides variipennis (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) infected by intrathoracic inoculation. Mosquito News 24, 185–9.Google Scholar
Laaberki, A. (1969). Evolution d'une épizootie de peste équine au Maroc. Bulletin de l'office international des épizooties 71, 921–36.Google Scholar
Luedke, A. J., Jones, R. H. & Walton, T. E. (1977). Overwintering mechanism for bluetongue virus: biological recovery of latent virus from a bovine by bites of Culicoides variipennis. American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 26, 313–25.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Manso-Ribeiro, J., Rosa-Azevedo, J. A., Noronha, F. O., Braço-Forte-Junior, M. C., Grave-Pereira, C. & Vasco-Fernandes, M. (1957). Fièvre catarrhale du mouton (Bluetongue). Bulletin de l'office international des épizooties 48, 350–67.Google Scholar
Manso-Ribeiro, J. (1958). Discussion on bluetongue. Bulletin de l'office international des épizooties 50, 612–13.Google Scholar
Mason, I. L. (1967). In Sheep Breeds of the Mediterranean. Farnham Royal: F.A.O. Commonwealth Agricultural Bureaux.Google Scholar
Mettam, R. W. M. (1947). Veterinary Department Nigeria. Annual Report for the year 1945. Lagos: Government Printer.Google Scholar
Montilla, R. D. & Marti, P. (1968). La peste équine. Bulletin de l'office international des épizooties 70, 647–62.Google Scholar
Nevill, E. M. (1971). Cattle and Culicoides biting midges as possible overwintering hosts of bluetongue virus. Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary Research 38, 6571.Google ScholarPubMed
Placidi, L. (1957). La ‘blue-tongue’ aux Maroc. Bulletin de l'academie vétérinaire de France 30, 7984.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sellers, R. F., Pedgley, D. E. & Tucker, M. R. (1977). Possible spread of African horse sickness by wind dispersal of infected Culicoides. Journal of Hygiene 79, 279–98.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Stewart, J. L. (1933). Report on the Department of Animal Health for the year 1933–4. Accra: Government printer.Google Scholar
Walker, A. R. (1977). Adult lifespan and reproductive status of Culicoides species (Diptera, Ceratopogonidae) in Kenya, with reference to virus transmission. Bulletin of Entomological Research 67, 205–15.CrossRefGoogle Scholar