In the Entomology Group we do research to understand the transmission of viruses of livestock by insect and
tick vectors, to reduce their impact upon global farming and animal welfare. At present, we focus primarily
upon bluetongue virus (BTV), which infects all ruminants and causes severe clinical disease in sheep and some
deer species. This virus is spread by Culicoides biting midges that are related to those responsible for biting
attacks on humans in Scotland, Northern England and Wales. Following the unprecedented outbreaks of BTV in
northern Europe during 2006 and its entry into the UK in 2007, our group worked with policy-makers at Defra, the
EU and OIE (World Organisation for Animal Health) to assist in the response to the incursion. We additionally ran
seasonal surveys of Culicoides responsible for transmission of BTV, which enabled more than 85 000 animal movements
during 2007. These surveys were key to providing the estimates of times to bluetongue virus re-emergence that drove
the voluntary vaccination campaign that eventually resulted in the eradication of the virus from the UK.
The Entomology Group is one of the foremost centres working on BTV worldwide and has more than 35 years
experience in working on related midge-transmitted viruses such as African horse sickness virus and epizootic
haemorrhagic disease virus. Working in collaboration with the IAH’s Arbovirology, Non-Vesicular Disease Reference
Laboratory and Mathematical Biology groups, we aim to carry out studies that explore both the epidemiology and
control of these viruses in order to improve our ability to reduce their impact. In collaboration with
Dr Anthony Wilson we also maintain
www.culicoides.net, a unique resource about biting midges for researchers worldwide,
and we supply Culicoides and ticks, from our own colonies, for a wide range of users.
We have also recently initiated studies of UK mosquitoes that will provide fundamental data for risk assessment of incursion of additional viruses. These studies are being carried out through collaborations with the Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency, the Health Protection Agency and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
Read more information on the
Entomology group
Recent references
- Sanders, C., Shortall, C., Gubbins, S., Burgin, L., Gloster, J., Harrington, R., Reynolds, D., Mellor, P.S. & Carpenter, S. Seasonal and daily flight activity of Culicoides biting midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) in the United Kingdom and the influence of meteorological parameters. Journal of Applied Ecology. In press.
- Veronesi, E., Venter, G.J. Labuschagne, K., Mellor, P.S. and Carpenter, S. 2009. Life-history parameters of Culicoides (Avaritia) imicola Kieffer in the laboratory at different rearing temperatures. Veterinary Parasitology, 163: 370-373.
- Carpenter S, Wilson A & Mellor PS (2009). Bluetongue virus and Culicoides in the UK: The impact of research on policy. Outlooks on Pest Management, 20:161-164.
- Carpenter, S., Wilson, A and Mellor PS. (2009). Culicoides and the emergence of bluetongue virus in northern Europe. Trends in Microbiology, 17, 172-178.
- Carpenter, S., C. Szmaragd, J. Barber, K. Labuschagne, S. Gubbins, and P. Mellor. 2008. An assessment of Culicoides surveillance techniques in northern Europe: have we underestimated a potential bluetongue virus vector? Journal of Applied Ecology 45: 1237-1245.
- Carpenter, S., P. S. Mellor, and S. J. Torr. 2008. Control techniques for Culicoides biting midges and their application in the UK and northwestern Palaearctic. Medical and Veterinary Entomology 22: 175-187.
- Carpenter, S., H. L. Lunt, D. Arav, G. J. Venter, and P. S. Mellor. (2006). Oral susceptibility to bluetongue virus of Culicoides (Diptera : Ceratopogonidae) from the United Kingdom. Journal of Medical Entomology 43: 73-78.