Vectorial capacity of Culicoides imicola in a new colonised area in southern mailand France

Bluetongue (BT) disease occurred for the first time in Corsica, France in 2000. Once the presence and the establishment of C. imicola were confirmed in a small area of the southern mainland of France (Var département), the risk of a bluetongue outbreak in this area became higher. In the case of mosquito-borne diseases, the vectorial capacity is a widely and useful adopted estimate used to assess the susceptibility of an area to a particular disease. This integrated approach was applied in the Var context. In this zone, four trapping sites were monitored weekly from mid-April 2005 to mid-November 2005 with a UV light trap. The abundance and the parity of C. imicola were collected and analysed in regard with local meteorological data. Expert opinions and previous published results were used to estimate others parameters of the vectorial capacity. Uncertainty and variability were taken into account by using probabilistic distributions. The vector competence of this C. imicola's population was tested through experimental infections under laboratory conditions. The benefits of such an approach are analysed with the purpose of fording few sensitive parameters which could be monitored in routine. (Texte intégral