An outbreak of Peste des petits ruminants (PPR) occurred in the Antalya Province in Turkey during October 2015. The Antalya Province has suitable habitats for vectors. There is no information available on the role of Culicoides spp. in the transmission of Peste des petits ruminants virus (PPRV). In this study we investigated the potential role of the Culicoides spp. in the transmission of PPRV. Culicoides were trapped throughout middle of October and middle of December, 2015. A total of 12 pools of non-engorged females were analysed with real-time RT-PCR targeting the nucleocapsid (N) gene of the PPRV. PPRV RNA was detected in 7 of 12 Culicoides pools. These pools were negative for the bovine/ovine beta-actin mRNA. Culicoides spp. were identified to the species level by sequence analysis of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I gene. The species of Culicoides found PPRV positive was Culicoides imicola. Molecular characterization of field isolates from recent outbreaks and pools of midges that tested positive for PPRV suggests that PPRV replication might occur in Culicoides imicola, and it may have played a role in transmitting PPRV.
Keywords: Culicoides imicola; Molecular characterization; Peste des petits ruminants; Transmission.