Dominance of Nosema ceranae in honey bees in the Balkan countries in the absence of symptoms of colony collapse disorder

Abstract

-Nosema species were determined in honey bees from Balkan countries. A total of 273 Nosemapositive samples were analysed. Duplex PCR and PCR-RFLP with newly designed primers, nos-16S-fw/rv, were used to differentiate between N. apis and N. ceranae. N. apis was detected in only one sample (col-

Distribution, epidemiological characteristics and control methods of the pathogen Nosema ceranae Fries in honey bees Apis mellifera L. (Hymenoptera, Apidae)

“…Later Higes et al (2006) reported the presence of N. ceranae infecting A. mellifera in Europe for the first time. Chen et al (2008) collected samples of honey bees between the years 1995 to 2007 and found the pathogen in 12 states in the USA; Liu et al (2008) reported it in China, while other reports over the years include Canada (Williams et al 2008a); Greece (Bacandritsos et al 2010); Thailand (Chaimanee et al 2010); different prefectures in Japan (Yoshiyama and Kimura 2011); several Balkan countries (Stevanovic et al 2011); and Turkey (Whitaker et al 2011). Moreover, Klee et al (2007) reported that N. ceranae is a disease of global proportions detected in many parts of the world, including Europe, Africa, Asia, America and Oceania (Higes et al 2006, Calderón et al 2008, Giersch et al 2009b , Chen and Huang 2010.…”

Nosema Ceranae DNA in Honey Bee Haemolymph and Honey Bee Mite Varroa Destructor/DNK Nosema Ceranae U Hemolimfi Pčela I Pčelinjem Krpelju Varroa Destructor

“…detection PCR was applied using nos-16S-fw/rv primers [29]. Samples that were confi rmed to be Nosema spp.-positive were subjected to duplex PCR with species-specifi c primers (321APIS-FOR/REV for the detection of N. apis and 218MITOC-FOR/REV for the detection of N. ceranae) designed by Martín-Hernández et al [19] and PCRs were performed the same way as previously described in detail [29]. As positive controls, reference DNA extracts (from bee macerates) of N. apis and N. ceranae, while double-distilled water (ddH 2 O) was the template for the negative control.…”

Integration of Molecular and Genetic Methods in the Investigation of the Biodiversity of the Honey Bee (Apis Mellifera L., Hymenoptera: Apidae) and Diagnosis of Diseases of Economic Importance Affecting the Bees and their Brood in Bulgaria

“…The pathogen is a gram positive, spore forming bacterium Paenibacillus larvae [28]. Traditionally the diagnosis of this disease is based of its specific clinical manifestation.…”

“…The American foulbrood is highly contagious disease affecting the brood, which inflicts severe economic losses on the beekeeping industry worldwide. The pathogen is a gram positive, spore forming bacterium Paenibacillus larvae [28]. Traditionally the diagnosis of this disease is based of its specific clinical manifestation and cultivation of the pathogen from infected bee colonies.…”

“…Recently Nosema ceranae was introduced to different regions of Europe, the Americas, and North Africa and assumes the role of a dominant species [28].…”