ISOLATION OF VIRUSES FROM FIELD POPULATIONS OF CULICOIDES (DIPTERA, CERATOPOGONIDAE) IN NIGERIA

From November 1967 through December 1970, nearly 270.000 specimens of Culicoides were processed for viral assay at the Virus Research Laboratory, Ibadan, Nigeria. Seventy isolates of 16 different viruses were obtained. Thirteen of the viruses belong to recognized serogroups: Simbu group (Sabo, Sango, Sathuperi, Shamonda, Shuni), Palyam group (Abadina), rabies group (kotonkan), bluetongue group (blue-tongue, 3 agents related to the virus of epizootic hemorrhagic disease of deer), Ganjam group (Dugbe), and Congo group (Congo). The other 3 are ungrouped: Rift Valley fever and 2 agents still under study. Some of these viruses were previously associated only with mosquitoes and ticks. In addition, several of them that cause economically important diseases had never before been detected in southern Nigeria. The technique used and the value of sampling Cilicoides populations for monitoring the presence of viral agents are discussed.