Fungi as Biocontrol Agents of Culicoides Biting Midges, the Putative Vectors of Bluetongue Disease

摘要

Biting midges of the genus Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) are the principal vectors of several notable viral pathogens infecting animal livestock. Sickness and animal deaths caused by the Culicoides-transmitted bluetongue virus, as well as the recent Schmallenberg virus outbreak, have threatened the livestock industry in Europe. Recent studies highlight how, in the near future, the application of "dry" fungal conidia of Metarhizium anisopliae in animal shelters and microenvironment (e.g., dung, manure, leaf litter, and livestock surroundings) may be used to control the Culicoides vector, thus, reducing the incidence of Culicoides-borne diseases.