African horse sickness (AHS), a disease of equids caused by the AHS virus, is of major concern in South Africa. With mortality reaching up to 95% in susceptible horses and the apparent reoccurrence of cases in regions deemed non-endemic, most particularly the Eastern Cape, epidemiological research into factors contributing to the increase in the range of this economically important virus became imperative. The vectors, Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae), are considered unable to proliferate during the unfavourable climatic conditions experienced in winter in the province, although the annual occurrence of AHS suggests that the virus has become established and that vector activity continues throughout the year. Surveillance of Culicoides within the province is sparse and little was known of the diversity of vector species or the abundance of known vectors, Culicoides imicola and Culicoides bolitinos. Surveillance was performed using light trapping methods at selected sites with varying equid species over two winter and two outbreak seasons, aiming to determine diversity, abundance and vector epidemiology of Culicoides within the province. The research provided an updated checklist of Culicoides species within the Eastern Cape, contributing to an increase in the knowledge of AHS vector epidemiology, as well as prevention and control in southern Africa.

中文翻译：

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Culicoides物种是南非南部地区非洲马瘟病毒的潜在载体。

非洲马病（AHS）是由AHS病毒引起的马匹疾病，在南非引起了人们的极大关注。随着易感马匹的死亡率高达95％，并且在非流行地区，尤其是东开普省，明显发生了病例再发事件，对导致这种具有重要经济意义的病毒范围扩大的因素进行流行病学研究变得势在必行。尽管每年发生的AHS病毒表明该病毒已经建立并且该载体的活性在全年持续存在，但据信该省的Culicoides（Diptera：Ceratopogonidae）载体无法在冬季冬季恶劣的气候条件下繁殖。该省内对库里科尼德斯的监视很少，对媒介物种的多样性或已知媒介如库里奇尼德库米和库里库利迪斯玻利蒂诺斯的了解也很少。在两个冬季和两个暴发季节中，使用光诱捕方法对选定地点的不同物种进行了监视，目的是确定该省库里科尼德斯的多样性，丰度和病媒流行病学。该研究提供了东开普省Culicoides物种的最新清单，有助于增加AHS病媒流行病学知识以及南部非洲的预防和控制。旨在确定该省库里科尼德斯的多样性，丰度和病媒流行病学。该研究提供了东开普省Culicoides物种的最新清单，有助于增加AHS病媒流行病学知识以及南部非洲的预防和控制。旨在确定该省库里科尼德斯的多样性，丰度和病媒流行病学。该研究提供了东开普省Culicoides物种的最新清单，有助于增加AHS病媒流行病学知识以及南部非洲的预防和控制。