Abstract

Nosema apis and Nosema ceranae are intracellular microsporidian parasites infecting the midgut epithelial cells of adult honey bees. N. ceranae was considered to be restricted to the Asian honey bee, Apis cerana, but is nowadays a parasite found also in the European honey bee (Apis mellifera)across most of the world. Recent surveys and experimental work suggest that N. ceranae is a serious threat to the global beekeeping industry. It has been suggested that N. ceranae induces significantly higher mortality in honey bees than N. apis, but little is known about their comparative virulence. In this study, we used in vivo infection experiments to study the two parasites' different virulence (i.e. multiplication rate and infectivity). A qPCR was developed to elucidate within host competition between the two parasites using mixed infections. The outcome of the experiments indicates minor differences in infectious dose and multiplication rate between the two species. Moreover, the mortality caused by N. ceranae was not significantly higher than for N. apis and N. ceranae appeared to have no competitive advantage within host. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Keywords

Nosema apis; Nosema ceranae; Virulence; Mixed species infection; Competition

Published in

Veterinary Parasitology
2010, Volume: 170, number: 3-4, pages: 212-217
Publisher: ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV

SLU Authors

• Forsgren, Eva

  • Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

• Fries, Ingemar

  • Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

UKÄ Subject classification

Animal and Dairy Science
Veterinary Science


Publication identifier

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vetpar.2010.02.010

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/59992