The growing prevalence of Nosema ceranae in honey bees in Spain, an emerging problem for the last decade (original) (raw)
Related papers
Journal of Invertebrate Pathology, 2008
Honey bee samples collected between 1995 and 2007 from 12 states were examined for the presence of Nosema infections. Our results showed that Nosema ceranae is a wide-spread infection of the European honey bee, Apis mellifera in the United States. The discovery of N. ceranae in bees collected a decade ago indicates that N. ceranae was transferred from its original host, Apis cerana to A. mellifera earlier than previously recognized. The spread of N. ceranae infection in A. mellifera warrants further epidemiological studies to identify conditions that resulted in such a widespread infection. Published by Elsevier Inc.
Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology
The Western honey bee (Apis mellifera) is widely used as commercial pollinator in worldwide agriculture and, therefore, plays an important role in global food security. Among the parasites and pathogens threatening health and survival of honey bees are two species of microsporidia, Nosema apis and Nosema ceranae. Nosema ceranae is considered an emerging pathogen of the Western honey bee. Reports on the spread of N. ceranae suggested that this presumably highly virulent species is replacing its more benign congener N. apis in the global A. mellifera population. We here present a 12 year longitudinal cohort study on the prevalence of N. apis and N. ceranae in Northeast Germany. Between 2005 and 2016, a cohort of about 230 honey bee colonies originating from 23 apiaries was sampled twice a year (spring and autumn) resulting in a total of 5,600 bee samples which were subjected to microscopic and molecular analysis for determining the presence of infections with N. apis or/and N. ceranae. Throughout the entire study period, both N. apis-and N. ceranae-infections could be diagnosed within the cohort. Logistic regression analysis of the prevalence data demonstrated a significant increase of N. ceranae-infections over the last 12 years, both in autumn (reflecting the development during the summer) and in spring (reflecting the development over winter) samples. Cell culture experiments confirmed that N. ceranae has a higher proliferative potential than N. apis at 27 • and 33 • C potentially explaining the increase in N. ceranae prevalence during summer. In autumn, characterized by generally low infection prevalence, this increase was accompanied by a significant decrease in N. apis-infection prevalence. In contrast, in spring, the season with a higher prevalence of infection, no Gisder et al. Long-Term Temporal Trends of Nosema ceranae Infections significant decrease of N. apis infections despite a significant increase in N. ceranae infections could be observed. Therefore, our data do not support a general advantage of N. ceranae over N. apis and an overall replacement of N. apis by N. ceranae in the studied honey bee population.
2017
The Western honey bee (Apis mellifera) is widely used as commercial pollinator in worldwide agriculture and, therefore, plays an important role in global food security. Among the parasites and pathogens threatening health and survival of honey bees are two species of microsporidia, Nosema apis and Nosema ceranae. Nosema ceranae is considered an emerging pathogen of the Western honey bee. Reports on the spread of N. ceranae suggested that this presumably highly virulent species is replacing its more benign congener N. apis in the global A. mellifera population. We here present a 12 year longitudinal cohort study on the prevalence of N. apis and N. ceranae in Northeast Germany. Between 2005 and 2016, a cohort of about 230 honey bee colonies originating from 23 apiaries was sampled twice a year (spring and autumn) resulting in a total of 5,600 bee samples which were subjected to microscopic and molecular analysis for determining the presence of infections with N. apis or/and N. ceranae...
Colony Level Prevalence and Intensity of Nosema ceranae in Honey Bees (Apis mellifera L.)
PLOS ONE, 2016
Nosema ceranae is a widely prevalent microsporidian parasite in the western honey bee. There is considerable uncertainty regarding infection dynamics of this important pathogen in honey bee colonies. Understanding the infection dynamics at the colony level may aid in development of a reliable sampling protocol for N. ceranae diagnosis, and provide insights into efficient treatment strategies. The primary objective of this study was to characterize the prevalence (proportion of the sampled bees found infected) and intensity (number of spores per bee) of N. ceranae infection in bees from various age cohorts in a colony. We examined N. ceranae infection in both overwintered colonies that were naturally infected with N. ceranae and in quadruple cohort nucleus colonies that were established and artificially inoculated with N. ceranae. We also examined and quantified effects of N. ceranae infection on hypopharyngeal gland protein content and gut pH. There was no correlation between the prevalence and intensity of N. ceranae infection in composite samples (pooled bee samples used for analysis). Our results indicated that the prevalence and intensity of N. ceranae infection is significantly influenced by honey bee age. The N. ceranae infection prevalence values from composite samples of background bees (unmarked bees collected from four different locations in a colony) were not significantly different from those pertaining to marked-bee age cohorts specific to each sampling date. The foraging-aged bees had a higher prevalence of N. ceranae infection when compared to nurse-aged bees. N. ceranae did not have a significant effect on hypopharyngeal gland protein content. Further, there was no significant difference in mean gut pH of N. ceranae infected bees and noninfected bees. This study provides comprehensive insights into N. ceranae infection dynamics at the colony level, and also demonstrates the effects of N. ceranae infection on hypopharyngeal gland protein content and midgut pH.
Nosema ceranae (Microsporidia), a controversial 21st century honey bee pathogen
Environmental Microbiology Reports, 2013
The worldwide beekeeping sector has been facing a grave threat, with losses up to 100-1000 times greater than those previously reported. Despite the scale of this honey bee mortality, the causes underlying this phenomenon remain unclear, yet they are thought to be multifactorial processes. Nosema ceranae, a microsporidium recently detected in the European bee all over the world, has been implicated in the global phenomenon of colony loss, although its role remains controversial. A review of the current knowledge about this pathogen is presented focussing on discussion related with divergent results, trying to analyse the differences specially based on different methodologies applied and divisive aspects on pathology while considering a biological or veterinarian point of view. For authors, the disease produced by N. ceranae infection cannot be considered a regional problem but rather a global one, as indicated by the wide prevalence of this parasite in multiple hosts. Not only does this type of nosemosis causes a clear pathology on honeybees at both the individual and colony levels, but it also has significant effects on the production of honeybee products. Received
Nosema ceranae in European honey bees (Apis mellifera)
Journal of Invertebrate Pathology, 2010
Nosema ceranae is a microsporidian parasite described from the Asian honey bee, Apis cerana. The parasite is cross-infective with the European honey bee, Apis mellifera. It is not known when or where N. ceranae first infected European bees, but N. ceranae has probably been infecting European bees for at least two decades. N. ceranae appears to be replacing Nosema apis, at least in some populations of European honey bees. This replacement is an enigma because the spores of the new parasite are less durable than those of N. apis. Virulence data at both the individual bee and at the colony level are conflicting possibly because the impact of this parasite differs in different environments. The recent advancements in N. ceranae genetics, with a draft assembly of the N. ceranae genome available, are discussed and the need for increased research on the impacts of this parasite on European honey bees is emphasized.
Detection of Nosema spp. in worker bees, pollen and bee bread during the honey flow season
Acta Veterinaria Brno, 2016
Nosema apis and Nosema ceranae are responsible for nosemosis in the honey bee (Apis mellifera). The aim of the study was to identify Nosema spp. during the honey flow season in bee colonies, for co-infection or no infection with Nosema apis/Nosema ceranae. Hive bees, forager bees, pollen grains brought by them, and bee bread were analysed. In the infected group, 12 of 30 samples of hive bees were infected with Nosema ceranae, 7 were co-infected, 3 were infected with Nosema apis. In samples of forager bees, 21 of 30 were co-infected, 8 were infected with Nosema ceranae. The analysis of pollen demonstrated that only 2 of 30 samples were infected with Nosema ceranae, 3 of 30 samples of bee bread were infected with Nosema ceranae, 3 were co-infected and 1 of 30 were infected with Nosema apis. In the uninfected group, 13 of 30 samples of hive bees were co-infected, 2 were infected with Nosema ceranae. In the forager bees group, 12 of 30 samples were co-infected, 2 were infected with Nose...
Permanent prevalence of Nosema ceranae in honey bees ( Apis mellifera ) in Hungary
Acta Veterinaria Hungarica, 2015
Nosema ceranae is present in honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) colonies worldwide. Studies on the comparative virulence of N. ceranae and N. apis showed significant differences in individual mortality, and the prevalence of N. ceranae seems to be predominant in both the continental and the Mediterranean climate regions. This study attempted to monitor the geographical and seasonal distribution of these two Nosema species in Hungary, using a simple laboratory method. The distribution of N. ceranae and N. apis infection rates along all seasons was homogeneous (P = 0.57). In co-infected samples, the intensity of N. ceranae infection was always significantly higher than that of N. apis infection (P < 0.001). The infection rate of infected bees in exterior samples was higher than in interior samples in each season; however, the differences were not statistically significant. The species N. ceranae had been present in Hungary already in 2004. Statistical analysis of data shows that the inf...
Nosema Disease of European Honey Bees
Journal of Fungi, 2021
Nosematosis is currently a frequently discussed honey bee disease caused by two types of Microsporidia: Nosema apis and Nosema ceranae. Nosematosis as an intestinal disease caused by these species is one of the main factors associated with the weakening and loss of hives, with none of the stressors acting in isolation and all having an important synergistic or additive effect on the occurrence of parasitic infection. The most important factors are exposure to pesticides and nutritional stress, both worsening the immune response. Honey bees Apis mellifera become more susceptible to parasites and subsequently the disease manifests itself. Choosing the right laboratory diagnostics is important to determine the prevalence of both species. Our review summarizes the most commonly used methodologies, especially polymerase chain reaction (PCR), which is a reliable method for detecting nosematosis, as well as for distinguishing between the two species causing the disease.