Recent Advances in the Biocontrol of Nosemosis in Honey Bees (Apis mellifera L.)

Iorizzo, Massimo; Letizia, Francesco; Ganassi, Sonia; Testa, Bruno; Petrarca, Sonia; Albanese, Gianluca; Criscio, Dalila Di; Cristofaro, A. De

doi:10.3390/jof8050424

Cited by 10 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 183 publications

(219 reference statements)

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“…Our study indicates that N. ceranae significantly influences the mortality of worker bees and, as such, likely poses a serious survival threat to the honeybee and the ecosystem services it provides (Papa et al 2022). The search for the treatment of nosemosis is ongoing (Iorizzo et al 2022). Significant attention is paid to the application of Good Beekeeping Practices as a form of prevention (Formato et al 2022).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nosemosis negatively affects honeybee survival: experimental and meta-analytic evidence

Ostap-Chec,

Cait,

Scott

et al. 2024

Preprint

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Nosemosis, caused by microsporidian parasites of the genus Nosema, is considered a significant health concern for insect pollinators, including the most economically significant, the honeybee (Apis mellifera L.). Despite its acknowledged importance, the impact of this disease on honeybee survivorship remains unclear. In this study, we used a standard laboratory cage trial to compare mortality rates between healthy honeybees and those infected with Nosema. We also conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of existing literature to explore how nosemosis contributes to increased mortality in honeybees tested in such widely used standard trials. Our review and meta-analysis included 50 studies that reported relevant experiments involving healthy and Nosema-infected individuals. We excluded studies that failed to report survivorship curves or information on potential moderators affecting the impact of nosemosis, such as spore inoculation dose, the age of the inoculated honeybees, or factors that may impact energy expenditure. Both our experimental results and meta-analysis revealed a consistent, robust effect of infection, indicating a threefold increase in mortality among the infected group of honeybee workers (hazard ratio for infected individuals = 3.16 [1.97, 5.07] and 2.99 [2.36, 3.79] in the experiment and meta-analysis, respectively). However, the meta-analysis also indicated high heterogeneity in the effect magnitude, which was not explained by our moderators. Furthermore, there was a serious risk of bias within studies and potential publication bias across studies. Our findings underscore knowledge gaps in the existing literature. We stress that laboratory cage trials should be viewed as an initial step in evaluating the impact of Nosema infection on mortality. Complementary field and apiary studies are imperative in search of effective treatment measures to preserve honeybee populations.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nosemosis negatively affects honeybee survival: experimental and meta-analytic evidence

Ostap-Chec,

Cait,

Scott

et al. 2024

Preprint

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“…The ability of probiotics to adhere to the intestinal epithelium is an important prerequisite for biofilm formation in the host intestinal tract. This ability, along with their antimicrobial activity are important features that can hinder the colonization of undesirable microorganisms [ 86 , 104 , 105 ]. The gut adherence ability of probiotic bacteria involves different types of surface properties, including hydrophobicity and auto-aggregation [ 106 , 107 , 108 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Antimicrobial Activity from Putative Probiotic Lactic Acid Bacteria for the Biological Control of American and European Foulbrood Diseases

Iorizzo

Ganassi

Albanese

et al. 2022

Veterinary Sciences

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The balance of the gut microbiome is important for the honey bee’s growth and development, immune function and defense against pathogens. The use of a beneficial bacteria-based strategy for the prevention and biocontrol of American foulbrood (AFB) and European foulbrood (EFB) diseases in honey bees offers interesting prospects. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are common inhabitants of the gastrointestinal tract of the honey bee. Among LABs associated with bee gut microbiota, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum (previously Lactobacillus plantarum) and Apilactobacillus kunkeei (formerly classified as Lactobacillus kunkeei) are two of the most abundant species. In this study, four Lactiplantibacillus plantarum strains and four Apilactobacillus kunkeei strains, isolated from the gastrointestinal tract of honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) were selected for their in vitro inhibition ability of Paenibacillus larvae ATCC 9545 and Melissococccus plutonius ATCC 35311. In addition, these LABs have been characterized through some biochemical and functional characteristics: cell surface properties (hydrophobicity and auto-aggregation), carbohydrates assimilation and enzymatic activities. The antimicrobial, biochemical and cell surface properties of these LABs have been functional to their candidature as potential probiotics in beekeeping and for the biocontrol of AFB and EFB diseases.

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“…Additionally, several studies have investigated the use of probiotics, such as those in the Lactobacillus , Bacillus , Bifidobacterium , Enterococcus , and Pediococcus genera, for controlling microsporidiosis in honey bees [ 27 ]. These probiotics have demonstrated the ability to enhance honey bee survival, reduce Vairimorpha spores, increase adult bee populations, and boost honey production [ 28 , 29 , 30 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Monitoring the Season–Prevalence Relationship of Vairimorpha ceranae in Honey Bees (Apis mellifera) over One Year and the Primary Assessment of Probiotic Treatment in Taichung, Taiwan

Li,

Chen,

Chang

et al. 2024

Insects

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Microsporidiosis, which is caused by the pathogen Vairimorpha ceranae, is a prevalent disease in the honey bee (Apis mellifera) and might lead to significant adult honey bee mortality. In this study, we conducted an annual survey of the mature spore load of V. ceranae in the guts of nurse bees and forager bees in the apiary of National Chung Hsing University (NCHU) in Taiwan. The results indicated that, on average, honey bees hosted approximately 2.13 × 106 mature spore counts (MSCs)/bee in their guts throughout the entire year. The highest number of MSCs was 6.28 × 106 MSCs/bee, which occurred in April 2020, and the lowest number of MSCs was 5.08 × 105 MSCs/bee, which occurred in November 2020. Furthermore, the guts of forager bees had significantly higher (>58%) MSCs than those of nurse bees. To evaluate the potential of the probiotic to treat microsporidiosis, the lactic acid bacterium Leuconostoc mesenteroides TBE-8 was applied to honey bee colonies. A significant reduction (>53%) in MSCs following probiotic treatment was observed, indicating the potential of probiotic treatment for managing microsporidiosis. This research provided information on V. ceranae MSCs in the honey bee gut at NCHU in Taiwan and the MSCs’ correlation with the annual season. Furthermore, a potential probiotic treatment for microsporidiosis was assessed for future management.

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Recent Advances in the Biocontrol of Nosemosis in Honey Bees (Apis mellifera L.)

Cited by 10 publications

References 183 publications

Nosemosis negatively affects honeybee survival: experimental and meta-analytic evidence

Nosemosis negatively affects honeybee survival: experimental and meta-analytic evidence

Antimicrobial Activity from Putative Probiotic Lactic Acid Bacteria for the Biological Control of American and European Foulbrood Diseases

Monitoring the Season–Prevalence Relationship of Vairimorpha ceranae in Honey Bees (Apis mellifera) over One Year and the Primary Assessment of Probiotic Treatment in Taichung, Taiwan

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