The levels of natural Nosema spp. infection in Apis mellifera iberiensis brood stages.

The levels of natural Nosema spp. infection in Apis mellifera iberiensis brood stages. Int J Parasitol. 2019 Jun 03;: Authors: Urbieta-Magro A, Higes M, Meana A, Gómez-Moracho T, Rodríguez-García C, Barrios L, Martín-Hernández R Abstract Nosema ceranae is the most prevalent endoparasite of Apis mellifera iberiensis and it is a major health problem for bees worldwide. The infective capacity of N. ceranae has been demonstrated experimentally in honey bee brood, however no data are available about its prevalence in brood under natural conditions. Thus, brood combs from 10 different hives were analyzed over two consecutive years, taking samples before and after winter. A total of 1,433 larvae/pupae were analyzed individually and N. ceranae (3.53%) was the microsporidian most frequently detected, as opposed to Nosema apis (0.42%) which was more frequently detected in conjunction with N. ceranae (0.71%). The active multiplication of both microsporidians was confirmed by the expression (real-time-PCR) of the N. ceranae polar tube protein 3 gene and/or the N. apis RNA polymerase II gene in 24% of the brood samples positive for Nosema spp. Both genes are related to microsporidian multiplication. As such, N. ceranae multiplication was confirmed in 1.06% of the samples, while N. apis multiplication was only observed in co-infections with N. ceranae (0.07%). Brood cells were analyzed for the presence of Nosema spp., as those are the immedia...
Source: International Journal for Parasitology - Category: Parasitology Authors: Tags: Int J Parasitol Source Type: research