EFFICACY OF A WATER MISTING SYSTEM WITH STRIDE ENVIRONMENTAL SPRAY

AGAINST AFRICAN HORSE SICKNESS VIRUS VECTORS ON STABLED HORSES

Page P.C.1, Labuschagne K.2, Venter G.J.2, Catton D.G.3
1

Department of Companion Animal Clinical Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Onderstepoort, South Africa .2 PVVD, ARC-Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute,
Onderstepoort, South Africa,3 Stride Consulting, Small Stock Section, ARCIrene, Irene, South Africa, e-mail: glynn@stridedist.co.za

INTRODUCTION
Culicoides biting midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) are of importance to health in
horses worldwide, primarily due to Orbivirus transmission1. Culicoides (Avaritia) imicola
Kieffer and Culicoides (Avaritia) bolitinos Meiswinkel have been implicated as vectors of
African horse sickness virus (AHSV) in South Africa2. Protection measures of both a
physical and chemical nature are recommended to protect horses from AHSV vectors
during times when midge populations increase3. A new environmentally safe repellent
spray, containing 3 natural plant oils, DEET (N,N-diethyl-3-methylbenzamide) and
piperonyl butoxide, that could be dispersed via a misting system in stables has recently
been developed. A study was conducted at a stable yard, where the misting system had
been installed to reduce insect activity by reduced environmental temperatures, to
evaluate the impact of the mist with the repellent product on midge numbers.

OBJECTIVE

Figure 1. Misting system installed in stable, and horse in stable with the mist and repellent product applied

The objective of the study was to determine if the water misting system including the
repellent product would reduce the number of Culicoides midges mechanically
aspirated from horses housed in a treated and untreated stable in the same stable
block, compared to a sentinel horse located in an outside paddock.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

An observed-blinded, randomised field study was conducted over 12 nights under field
conditions at a private stable yard located in Sun Valley, Gauteng. Three adult horses
were selected for mechanical aspiration, with two of the horses housed inside stables in
the same stable row one horse where the misting system operated normally (Treated
stable) and the other where the misting system was shut off (Untreated stable), and the
remaining horse, being the sentinel horse, kept outside in a sand paddock (Fig. 1).
Midges were mechanically aspirated from the horses from 30 minutes before to 30
minutes after sunset in a randomised design. Both sides of each horse were aspirated
in a systematic manner from cranial to caudal and dorsal to ventral on the neck, back,
rump and side for 3 minutes per horse (twice each night) (Fig. 2). A customised aspirator
(2820B DC Insect vacuum, BioQuip Products Inc., U.S.A.) was used. Midges were also
collected using Onderstepoort 220V downdraught black light traps operated for two
hours each night, after the aspiration of the horses, to determine the midge challenge in
the environment.

Figure 2. Mechanical aspiration of

Culicoides biting midges from a horse
in stable

Table 1. Summary of Culicoides midge counts collected by mechanical aspiration from horses around
sunset and in light traps operated for two hours, for 12 nights

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The horse in the treated stable, as well as the horse in the untreated stable, had
significantly fewer Culicoides midges aspirated compared to the sentinel horse
(p<0.001) (Fig. 3).
Fewer midges were consistently aspirated off the horse in the treated stable compared
to the horse in the untreated stable in the same stable row. This finding supports a
protective effect of the misting system with the repellent product, in addition to the
protective effect of stabling.
All of the midges aspirated from the horses in the stables were C. imicola, while those on
the sentinel horse were in excess of 60% C. imicola.
The Onderstepoort light trap located inside the stable yard caught significantly more
midges than the trap located outside near the sentinel horse, indicating a higher
Culicoides challenge inside the stable yard environment.

CONCLUSION
The misting system with the repellent product can be utilised as a safe physical and
chemical protection measure to reduce exposure of horses in stables to Culicoides
biting midges and the risk of midge-borne Orbivirus transmission.

Figure 3. Number of Culicoides midges aspirated per night

from a horse housed in a treated stable, a horse housed in an
untreated stable, and an outside sentinel horse. Different
superscripts indicate a statistically significant difference
between midge counts (p< 0.001)

Number of midges collected by mechanical aspiration

Treated stable
horse
Total Culicoides
midges
Mean number of
midges per day
% C. imicola
% C. bolitinos

Untreated stable
horse

Number of midges collected by light traps

Outside sentinel
horse

Inside stable yard

Outside stable yard

224

5689

3478

0.3

0.7

18.7

517

316

100%

100%

>60%

>87%

57%

0%

0%

2.7%

0.8%

1.4%

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We thank L.P. Kruger, M. Slabber, J. Torr and A. Lithgow for assistance with data collection, and R. Slack for permission to
conduct trial work.

REFERENCES
1. Mellor, P.S., Boorman, J., Baylis, M., 2000. Culicoides biting midges: their role as arbovirus vectors. Annu. Rev. Entomol.
45, 307-340.
2. Meiswinkel, R., Venter, G.J., Nevill, E.M., 2004. Vectors: Culicoides spp. In: Coetzer, J.A.W., Tustin, R.C. (Eds.), Infectious
Diseases of Livestock. Oxford University Press, Cape Town, pp. 93-136.
3. Page, P.C., Labuschagne, K., Venter, G.J., Schoeman, J.P., Guthrie, A.J., 2014. Field and in vitro insecticidal efficacy of
alphacypermethrin-treated high density polyethylene mesh against Culicoides biting midges in South Africa. Vet.
Parasitol. 203, 184-188.

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