Pathogens Spillover from Honey Bees to Other Arthropods (original) (raw)
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Journal of Apicultural Science, 2022
Managed honey bee populations have fluctuated over the past several decades in the U.S. While a single factor has not been identified for these losses, the interaction between multiple biotic and abiotic stressors have been suggested to be responsible. Of major concern are several invasive parasite and pathogen species as well as colony management. A single honey bee colony often suffers from multiple harmful agents, that may act synergistically and cause greater declines in bee health. We conducted a survey to detect known and lesser-known honey bee parasites and pathogens. While previous research has primarily focused on commercially managed colonies, research is limited to pertaining parasite and pathogen prevalence in hobbyist managed colonies. Molecular diagnostics were used to screen 541 Arkansas (AR) honey bee colonies from 107 hobbyist beekeepers for eight A. mellifera parasite and pathogen species. Colony samples were obtained between 2015-2016 and represented forty-seven of the seventy-five AR counties. Vairimorpha ceranae (11.6% occurrence) and parasite Varroa destructor (49.4% occurrence) were relatively common in AR hobbyist colonies. Interestingly, the lesser-studied pathogenic trypanosome species, Lotmaria passim, was detected in 11.3% of the colonies and widespread in twenty of the forty-seven counties sampled. None of the honey bee pathogens Vairimorpha apis, Spiroplasma apis, S. melliferum, Crithidia mellificae, or the parasitic phorid fly, Apocephalus borealis, were detected in the colonies sampled. This study provides an extensive assessment of the parasite and pathogen species occurring at the AR state-level in hobbyist-managed honey bee colonies.
Widespread occurrence of honey bee pathogens in solitary bees
Journal of Invertebrate Pathology, 2014
Solitary bees and honey bees from a neighbouring apiary were screened for a broad set of putative pathogens including protists, fungi, spiroplasmas and viruses. Most sampled bees appeared to be infected with multiple parasites. Interestingly, viruses exclusively known from honey bees such as Apis mellifera Filamentous Virus and Varroa destructor Macula-like Virus were also discovered in solitary bees. A microsporidium found in Andrena vaga showed most resemblance to Nosema thomsoni. Our results suggest that bee hives represent a putative source of pathogens for other pollinators. Similarly, solitary bees may act as a reservoir of honey bee pathogens.
Protocols for assessing the distribution of pathogens in individual Hymenopteran pollinators
2021
This protocol was developed for the COST-Action “Super-B”, whose purpose was to coordinate research, outreach and policy towards sustainable pollination1-3. The protocol addresses the detection of parasites and pathogens across bee species, as one of several possible drivers of bee decline4,5. It consists of four major components:1. A sample collecting protocol, based around a dominant bee species driving pathogen distribution among other bee species2. A sample processing protocol, based on analyzing nucleic acids from individual bees3. A pathogen detection protocol, based on RT-qPCR with broad-range primers for several common pathogens4. A barcoding protocol, for accurate bee species identification The protocols have largely been adapted from existing knowledge and protocols but also include two key innovations: the use of passive reference nucleic acids and synthetic positive controls, that significantly improve the quality and robustness of the raw data, and thus the reliability ...
2017
The health and viability of colonies of the honey bee, Apis mellifera, in the United States have fluctuated dramatically over the past decade. This poses a substantial threat to agricultural production in this country. Currently, no single factor has been identified for this decline. Rather, it has been suggested that the interaction between multiple biotic and abiotic stressors may be responsible. Among these factors are pesticides, habitat loss, climate and weather, parasites and pathogens, and colony management techniques. For this reason, it is important to examine the prevalence of honey bee parasite and pathogen infection at the state level in comparison to national survey data. In the research described herein, molecular diagnostics were performed on worker honey bee samples from Arkansas hobbyist beekeepers and Oklahoma migratory beekeepers to detect the presence of the following A. mellifera pathogens and parasites: protozoans Nosema apis and N. ceranae; bacterial pathogens...
Journal of Invertebrate Pathology, 2007
The economically most important honey bee species, Apis mellifera, was formerly considered to be parasitized by one microsporidian, Nosema apis. Recently, . Nosema ceranae, a new microsporidian parasite in honeybees in Europe, J. Invertebr. Pathol. 92, 93-95] and [. A Nosema ceranae isolate from the honeybee Apis mellifera. Apidologie 38, 30-37] used 16S (SSU) rRNA gene sequences to demonstrate the presence of Nosema ceranae in A. mellifera from Spain and Taiwan, respectively. We developed a rapid method to differentiate between N. apis and N. ceranae based on PCR-RFLPs of partial SSU rRNA. The reliability of the method was confirmed by sequencing 29 isolates from across the world (N = 9 isolates gave N. apis RFLPs and sequences, N = 20 isolates gave N. ceranae RFLPs and sequences; 100% correct classification). We then employed the method to analyze N = 115 isolates from across the world. Our data, combined with N = 36 additional published sequences demonstrate that (i) N. ceranae most likely jumped host to A. mellifera, probably within the last decade, (ii) that host colonies and individuals may be co-infected by both microsporidia species, and that (iii) N. ceranae is now a parasite of A. mellifera across most of the world. The rapid, long-distance dispersal of N. ceranae is likely due to transport of infected honey bees by commercial or hobbyist beekeepers. We discuss the implications of this emergent pathogen for worldwide beekeeping.
Cross-infectivity of honey and bumble bee-associated parasites across three bee families
Parasitology
Recent declines of wild pollinators and infections in honey, bumble and other bee species have raised concerns about pathogen spillover from managed honey and bumble bees to other pollinators. Parasites of honey and bumble bees include trypanosomatids and microsporidia that often exhibit low host specificity, suggesting potential for spillover to co-occurring bees via shared floral resources. However, experimental tests of trypanosomatid and microsporidial cross-infectivity outside of managed honey and bumble bees are scarce. To characterize potential cross-infectivity of honey and bumble bee-associated parasites, we inoculated three trypanosomatids and one microsporidian into five potential hosts – including four managed species – from the apid, halictid and megachilid bee families. We found evidence of cross-infection by the trypanosomatids Crithidia bombi and C. mellificae, with evidence for replication in 3/5 and 3/4 host species, respectively. These include the first reports of...
Parasites, pathogens, and pests of honeybees in Asia
Apidologie, 2015
Asia is home to at least nine honeybee species, including the introduced Apis mellifera. In addition to A. mellifera and Apis cerana being widely employed for commercial beekeeping, the remaining nonmanaged species also have important ecological and economic roles on the continent. Species distributions of most honeybee species overlap in Southeast Asia. This promotes the potential for interspecific transmission of pests and parasites and their spread to other parts of the world by human translocation. The decline of honeybee populations is of great concern around the world, including in Asia. The global colony losses of A. mellifera are believed to be caused, in part, by parasites, pathogens, and pests originating from Asia, such as the mite Varroa destructor , the microsporidian Nosema ceranae , and some bee viruses. This review discusses important pests, pathogens, and parasites in both the introduced A. mellifera and native honeybees in Asia to provide an overall picture of honeybee health in the region and future threats to the apiculture industry.
Journal of Apicultural Science
Managed honey bee populations have fluctuated over the past several decades in the U.S. While a single factor has not been identified for these losses, the interaction between multiple biotic and abiotic stressors have been suggested to be responsible. Of major concern are several invasive parasite and pathogen species as well as colony management. A single honey bee colony often suffers from multiple harmful agents, that may act synergistically and cause greater declines in bee health. We conducted a survey to detect known and lesser-known honey bee parasites and pathogens. While previous research has primarily focused on commercially managed colonies, research is limited to pertaining parasite and pathogen prevalence in hobbyist managed colonies. Molecular diagnostics were used to screen 541 Arkansas (AR) honey bee colonies from 107 hobbyist beekeepers for eight A. mellifera parasite and pathogen species. Colony samples were obtained between 2015–2016 and represented forty-seven o...
Occurrence of honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) pathogens in commercial and traditional hives
Journal of Apicultural Research, 2019
This work was aimed at the detection of the differences in the occurrence of seven bee pathogens between bee colonies kept in commercial and traditional ways. The research was conducted on 120 apparently healthy, commercially kept colonies in DB hives and 24 traditionally kept colonies in primitive, so-called trmka hives on the Pester Plateau. Brood samples were taken from all colonies to assess the occurrence of bee brood disease agents (Paenibacillus larvae, Melissococcus plutonius, Ascosphaera apis and sacbrood virus-SBV) and adult bee pathogens (deformed wing virus-DWV, chronic bee paralysis virus-CBPV and acute bee paralysis virus-ABPV). PCR diagnostics was used in all cases, in compliance with the existing methods adopted by OIE. Concerning bee brood disease-causing agents, in commercial hives P. larvae (16.67% samples), A. apis (15.83%) and the SBV (96.67%) were confirmed, whilst in traditional hives, SBV was the only one detected (33.33%). M. plutonius was not found in any sample. As for adult bee diseases, in both commercial and traditional hives all of the three viruses were detected (DWV, ABPV, CBPV), but their occurrence in the former (100.00, 100.00 and 83.33%, respectively) was significantly (p<0.001) higher than in the latter (33.33% occurrence of each). No commercially kept colonies were free from all disease causes, while in the traditionally kept group there were 66.66% of such colonies. It can be concluded that the traditional way of beekeeping provides significantly better conditions for maintenance of bee health and their resistance to pathogens.
The Prevalence of Parasites and Pathogens in Asian Honeybees Apis cerana in China
PLoS ONE, 2012
Pathogens and parasites represent significant threats to the health and well-being of honeybee species that are key pollinators of agricultural crops and flowers worldwide. We conducted a nationwide survey to determine the occurrence and prevalence of pathogens and parasites in Asian honeybees, Apis cerana, in China. Our study provides evidence of infections of A. cerana by pathogenic Deformed wing virus (DWV), Black queen cell virus (BQCV), Nosema ceranae, and C. bombi species that have been linked to population declines of European honeybees, A. mellifera, and bumble bees. However, the prevalence of DWV, a virus that causes widespread infection in A. mellifera, was low, arguably a result of the greater ability of A. cerana to resist the ectoprasitic mite Varroa destructor, an efficient vector of DWV. Analyses of microbial communities from the A. cerana digestive tract showed that Nosema infection could have detrimental effects on the gut microbiota. Workers infected by N. ceranae tended to have lower bacterial quantities, with these differences being significant for the Bifidobacterium and Pasteurellaceae bacteria groups. The results of this nationwide screen show that parasites and pathogens that have caused serious problems in European honeybees can be found in native honeybee species kept in Asia. Environmental changes due to new agricultural practices and globalization may facilitate the spread of pathogens into new geographic areas. The foraging behavior of pollinators that are in close geographic proximity likely have played an important role in spreading of parasites and pathogens over to new hosts. Phylogenetic analyses provide insights into the movement and population structure of these parasites, suggesting a bidirectional flow of parasites among pollinators. The presence of these parasites and pathogens may have considerable implications for an observed population decline of Asian honeybees.