What does this research mean for the field?

Although winter activity of Culicoides biting midges in livestock housing often exceeds the EU threshold for a 'vector-free period', the risk of bluetongue virus transmission during the central European winter is negligible due to near-absent virus circulation. Novelty: ClaimNovelty.CONTRADICTORY. Consensus alignment: ConsensusAlignment.CHALLENGES_CONSENSUS.

What question did this study set out to answer?

To characterize winter activity and blood-feeding in Culicoides biting midges within livestock barns and determine winter arbovirus circulation before and during a bluetongue virus serotype 3 outbreak.

September 5, 2026Parasites & VectorsOpen Access

Winter activity and virus infection of Culicoides biting midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) in German livestock housing before and during the 2024 BTV-3 outbreak

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Authors

AVAnja Voigt HKHelge Kampen MBMartin Beer

Discussion

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Overview

Surveillance study reveals low winter arboviral infection rates despite active Culicoides midges in livestock stables, suggesting negligible cold-season bluetongue transmission risk.

Key Points

To characterize winter activity and blood-feeding in Culicoides biting midges within livestock barns and determine winter arbovirus circulation before and during a bluetongue virus serotype 3 outbreak.
Operated 24-hour UV-light traps weekly across 12 to 55 cattle, sheep, goat, and horse stables throughout Germany over four consecutive winter periods from 2021 to 2025.
Categorized captured females into the Obsoletus Group or Pulicaris Complex and correlated capture abundance with local stable temperatures.
Tested 1,581 midge pools comprising 46,358 females for bluetongue virus, Schmallenberg virus, and epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus using real-time RT-PCR.
November and March accounted for 95% of all captures, whereas mid-winter months contributed only 5% of total captures, with January and February each representing 1%.
Blood-fed females were rare in mid-winter, yet midge counts frequently exceeded the European Union vector-free period threshold of fewer than 5 individuals per trap per night.
Only a single pool collected in November 2024 tested positive for bluetongue virus serotype 3 RNA, while all remaining 1,580 pools were negative for all three viruses.

Cite This Study

Voigt et al. (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a9bd4726b95aff0620ec30d https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-026-07620-w

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September 5, 2026Parasites & VectorsOpen Access

Winter activity and virus infection of Culicoides biting midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) in German livestock housing before and during the 2024 BTV-3 outbreak

View Full Paper

Ask AI

Bookmark

Authors

AVAnja Voigt HKHelge Kampen MBMartin Beer

Discussion

Member takes

Overview

Surveillance study reveals low winter arboviral infection rates despite active Culicoides midges in livestock stables, suggesting negligible cold-season bluetongue transmission risk.

Key Points

To characterize winter activity and blood-feeding in Culicoides biting midges within livestock barns and determine winter arbovirus circulation before and during a bluetongue virus serotype 3 outbreak.
Operated 24-hour UV-light traps weekly across 12 to 55 cattle, sheep, goat, and horse stables throughout Germany over four consecutive winter periods from 2021 to 2025.
Categorized captured females into the Obsoletus Group or Pulicaris Complex and correlated capture abundance with local stable temperatures.
Tested 1,581 midge pools comprising 46,358 females for bluetongue virus, Schmallenberg virus, and epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus using real-time RT-PCR.
November and March accounted for 95% of all captures, whereas mid-winter months contributed only 5% of total captures, with January and February each representing 1%.
Blood-fed females were rare in mid-winter, yet midge counts frequently exceeded the European Union vector-free period threshold of fewer than 5 individuals per trap per night.
Only a single pool collected in November 2024 tested positive for bluetongue virus serotype 3 RNA, while all remaining 1,580 pools were negative for all three viruses.

Cite This Study

Voigt et al. (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a9bd4726b95aff0620ec30d https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-026-07620-w

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