Detection of African horse sickness virus in Culicoides imicola pools using RT‐qPCR |
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| Authors: | Tania de Waal Danica Liebenberg Gert J Venter Charlotte MS Mienie Huib van Hamburg |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North‐West University, Potchefstroom 2520, South Africa;2. Faculty of Education Sciences, School for Natural Sciences and Technology for Education, North‐West University, Potchefstroom 2520, South Africa;3. Parasites, Vectors and Vector Borne diseases, Agricultural Research Council‐ Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute, Onderstepoort 0110, South Africa |
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| Abstract: | African horse sickness (AHS) is an infectious, non‐contagious arthropod‐borne disease of equids, caused by the African horse sickness virus (AHSV), an orbivirus of the Reoviridae family. It is endemic in sub‐Saharan Africa and thought to be the most lethal viral disease of horses. This study focused on detection of AHSV in Culicoides imicola (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) pools by the application of a RT‐qPCR. Midges were fed on AHSV‐infected blood. A single blood‐engorged female was allocated to pools of unfed nulliparous female midges. Pool sizes varied from 1 to 200. RNA was extracted and prepared for RT‐qPCR. The virus was successfully detected and the optimal pool size for the limit of detection of the virus was determined at a range between 1 to 25. Results from this investigation highlight the need for a standardized protocol for AHSV investigation in Culicoides midges especially for comparison among different studies and for the determination of infection rate. |
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| Keywords: | Pool size limit of detection RT‐qPCR sensitivity |
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