Nosema ceranae is an old resident of honey bee (Apis mellifera) colonies in Mexico, causing infection levels of one million spores per bee or higher during summer and fall.
This study was conducted to identify Nosema spp. and to determine their infection levels in honey bee (Apis mellifera) samples collected in Mexico in 1995-1996. Samples of historical surveys from different countries are of particular interest to support or challenge the hypothesis that the microsporidium Nosema ceranae is a new parasite of A. mellifera that has recently dispersed across the world. We demonstrate that N. ceranae has parasitized honey bees in Mexico since at least 1995 and that the infection levels of this parasite during summer and fall, exceed the threshold at which treatment of honey bee colonies is recommended.
Departamento de Parasitologia, FMVZ, UNAM, Cd. Univ., Mexico DF 04510, Mexico.
Cristina
C
Guerrero-Molina
Departamento de Producción Animal: Abejas, FMVZ, UNAM, Cd. Univ., Mexico DF 04510, Mexico.
Adriana
A
Correa-Benítez
School of Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada.
Mollah Md
MM
Hamiduzzaman
School of Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada. Electronic address: eguzman@uoguelph.ca.
Ernesto
E
Guzman-Novoa
D000818:Animals; D001516:Bees / Q000469:parasitology*; D008800:Mexico; D016818:Nosema; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012621:Seasons
Apis mellifera; Infection levels; Mexico; Nosema ceranae; Nosema disease