AEM Accepts, published online ahead of print on 3 August 2007

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Appl. Environ. Microbiol. doi:10.1128/AEM.00270-07
Copyright (c) 2007, American Society for Microbiology and/or the Listed Authors/Institutions. All Rights Reserved.

The outcome of the colonization of Apis mellifera by Nosema ceranae

Raquel Martín-Hernández^*, Aránzazu Meana, Lourdes Prieto, Amparo Martínez Salvador, Encarna Garrido-Bailón, and Mariano Higes

Centro Apicola Regional. Dirección General de la Producción Agropecuaria. Consejería de Agricultura. Junta de Comunidades de Castilla - La Mancha, 19180 Marchamalo, Spain.; Departamento de Sanidad Animal. Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain.; Comisaría General de la Policía Científica. DNA Laboratory. Madrid, Spain; Departamento de Epidemiología, Salud Animal y Ganadería (Tragsega), 28006 Madrid, Spain

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. Email: rmhernandez{at}jccm.es.

A Multiplex PCR based method, in which two SSUrRNA regions are simultaneously amplified in a single reaction, was designed for the in-parallel detection of honeybee microsporidia (Nosema apis and Nosema ceranae). Each of the two pairs of primers exclusively amplified the 16S targeted gene of the specific microsporidia. The multiplex PCR assay was useful for the specific detection of the two species of microsporidia related to bee nosemosis, not only in purified spores but also in honeybee homogenates and in naturally infected bees. Multiplex PCR assay was also able to detect co-infections by the two species. A screening of bee samples from Spain, Switzerland, France and Germany using the PCR technique revealed a higher presence of N.ceranae than N. apis in Europe, although both are widely distributed. From the year 2000 onwards, statistically significant differences have been found in the proportion of Nosema spp. spore positive samples collected, inter and intra-annually. In the first period (1999-2002), the smallest number of samples diagnosed as Nosema positive was recorded during the summer months, showing a clear seasonality in the diagnosis which is characteristic of N. apis. From 2003 onwards a change in the tendency showed an increase of Nosema positive samples in all months until 2005 when a total absence of seasonality was detected. A significant causative association between the presence of N. ceranae and hive depopulation clearly indicates that the colonization of Apis mellifera by N. ceranae is related with bee losses.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Fenoy, S., Rueda, C., Higes, M., Martin-Hernandez, R., del Aguila, C. (2009). High-Level Resistance of Nosema ceranae, a Parasite of the Honeybee, to Temperature and Desiccation. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 75: 6886-6889 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Martin-Hernandez, R., Meana, A., Garcia-Palencia, P., Marin, P., Botias, C., Garrido-Bailon, E., Barrios, L., Higes, M. (2009). Effect of Temperature on the Biotic Potential of Honeybee Microsporidia. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 75: 2554-2557 [Abstract] [Full Text]