Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-xfwgj Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-06-26T03:35:53.009Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

A latex agglutination test for the identification of blood-meals of Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 July 2009

J. Boorman ,
P. S. Mellor ,
P. F. L. Boreham  and
Rosemary S. Hewett
J. Boorman
Affiliation:
Animal Virus Research Institute, Pirbright, Woking, Surrey GU24 0NF, U.K..
P. S. Mellor
Affiliation:
Animal Virus Research Institute, Pirbright, Woking, Surrey GU24 0NF, U.K..
P. F. L. Boreham
Affiliation:
Department of Zoology and Applied Entomology, Imperial College of Science and Technology, London SW7 2AZ, U.K..
Rosemary S. Hewett
Affiliation:
Department of Zoology and Applied Entomology, Imperial College of Science and Technology, London SW7 2AZ, U.K..
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

A latex agglutination test to identify the sources of blood-meals of Culicoides is described. The method requires the minimum amounts of reagents and apparatus and would be suitable for rapid tests under field conditions. Blood-meals of Culicoides nubeculosus (Mg.) and C. variipennis (Coq.) from laboratory cultures, which had engorged on blood from several species of domestic animals, were differentiated without difficulty. In a series of ‘blind’ tests, the blood-meals of 49 C. variipennis from seven species of domestic animal were identified with 100% accuracy. The differentiation of blood-meals from closely related hosts, such as mouse and guineapig or ox and sheep, is entirely dependent upon the specificity of the antisera conjugated to the latex. Blood-meals could be identified reliably for about 48 h after ingestion at 20–25°C, but at higher temperatures the reaction became less reliable after 24 h. Detergents commonly used in collecting midges had no effect on the latex agglutination test, but 0–01% mertbiolate, often used as a preservative, caused auto-agglutination and cannot be used when this test is to be applied.

Type
Original Articles
Information
Bulletin of Entomological Research , Volume 67 , Issue 2 , June 1977 , pp. 305 - 311
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1977

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Abu Salih, H. S.., Murant, A. F., Daft, M. J.. (1968). The use of antibody-sensitised latex particles to detect plant viruses. — J. gen. Virol. 3, 299–302.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bercks, R., Querfurth, G.. (1969). Weitere methodische Utersuchungen über den Latextest zum serologischen Nachweis pflanzenpathogener Viren.— Phytopath. Z. 65, 243–256.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Boreham, P. F. L.. (1975). Some applications of bloodmeal identifications in relation to the epidemiology of vector-borne tropical diseases. — J. trop. Med. Hyg. 78, 83–91.Google Scholar
Boreham, P. F. L. (in press). Sterilisation of arthropod bloodmeals prior to bloodmeal identification. — Mosquito News.Google Scholar
Boreham, P. F. L., Gill, G. S.. (1973). Serological identification of reptile feeds of Glossina. — Acta Trop. 30, 356–365.Google ScholarPubMed
Braverman, Y.., Boreham, P. F. L., Galun, R. (1971). The origin of blood meals of female Culicoides pallidipennis trapped in a sheepfold in Israel. — J. med. Entomol. 8, 379–381.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Carter, J. B.. (1973). Detection and assay of Tipula iridescent virus by the latex agglutination test. — J. gen. Virol. 21, 181–185.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cayzer, I., Whitehead, P. H.. (1973). The use of sensitised latex in the identification of human bloodstains. — J. forens. Sci. Soc. 13, 179–181.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Eligh, G. S.. (1952). Factors influencing the performance of the precipitin test in the determination of blood meals of insects. — Can. J. Zool. 30, 213—218.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lowry, O. H.., Rosebrough, N. J.., Farr, A. L., Randall, R. J.. (1951). Protein measurement with the folin phenol reagent. — J. biol. Chem. 193, 265–275.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Murray, M. D.. (1970). The identification of blood meals in biting midges (Culicoides: Ceratopogonidae). — Ann. trop. Med. Parasit. 64, 115–122.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Neville, E. M., Anderson, D.. (1972). Host preferences of Culicoides midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) in South Africa as determined by precipitin tests and light trap catches. — Onderstepoort J. vet. Res. 39, 147–152.Google Scholar
Pasolescu, O., Mihalcu, F.. (1975). A latex agglutination test for meningococcal infections diagnosis, pp. 439–442 in Int. Symp. of Immunity to Infections of the Respiratory System in Man and Animals, London 1974. — Dev. biol. Standardisation 28, 656 pp.Google Scholar
Singer, J. M., Plotz, C. M.. (1956). The latex fixation test, for I: Application to the serological diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis. — Am. J. Med. 21, 888–892.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Steinbuch, M., Audran, R.. (1969). The isolation of IgG from mammalian sera with the aid of caprylic acid. — Archs. Biochem. Biophys. 134, 279–284.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tempelis, C. H.. (1975). Host-feeding patterns of mosquitoes, with a review of advances in analysis of blood meals by serology.— J. med. Entomol. 11, 635–653.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Tempelis, C. H., Nelson, R. L.. (1971). Blood-feeding patterns of midges of the Culicoides variipennis complex in Kern County, California. — J. med. Entomol. 8, 532–534.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Walker, A. R., Boreham, P. F. L.. (1976a). Blood feeding of Culicoides (Diptera, Ceratopogonidae) in Kenya in relation to the epidemiology of bluetongue and ephemeral fever. — Bull. ent. Res. 66, 181–188.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Walker, A. R., Boreham, P. F. L.. (1976b). Saline as a collecting medium for Culicoides (Diptera, Ceratopogonidae) in blood feeding and other studies. — Mosquito News. 36, 18–20.Google Scholar
Walker, A. R., Davies, F. G.. (1971). A preliminary survey of the epidemiology of bluetongue in Kenya. — J. Hyg. Camb. 69, 47–61.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Whitehead, P. H.., Brech, A., Cayzer, I.. (1974). The identification of the species origin of bloodstains using sensitized latex. — J. Forens. Sci. Soc. 14, 103–107.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed