Presence of Nosema ceranae in honeybees (Apis mellifera) in Uruguay

Ciro Invernizzi; Carolina Abud; Ivanna H Tomasco; Jorge Harriet; Gustavo Ramallo; Juan Campá; Helena Katz; Gabriela Gardiol; Yamandú Mendoza

doi:10.1016/j.jip.2009.03.006

Presence of Nosema ceranae in honeybees (Apis mellifera) in Uruguay

J Invertebr Pathol. 2009 Jun;101(2):150-3. doi: 10.1016/j.jip.2009.03.006. Epub 2009 Apr 7.

Authors

Ciro Invernizzi¹, Carolina Abud, Ivanna H Tomasco, Jorge Harriet, Gustavo Ramallo, Juan Campá, Helena Katz, Gabriela Gardiol, Yamandú Mendoza

Affiliation

¹ Facultad de Ciencias, Montevideo, Uruguay. ciro@fcien.edu.uy

PMID: 19358851
DOI: 10.1016/j.jip.2009.03.006

Abstract

The microsporidium Nosema ceranae is an emergent pathogen of European honeybees Apis mellifera. Using a PCR-RFLP diagnosis, 29 samples of infected honeybees obtained in 2007-2008 (N=26), 2004 (N=2) and before 1990 (N=1) were analyzed for the presence of Nosema apis and N. ceranae. Only N. ceranae was found in all samples, indicating that this species dispersed to Uruguay (and likely the region) at some time before 1990. The presence of N. ceranae in Uruguay is not associated with an increase of Nosemosis, and its role in colony loss seems to be irrelevant.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Animals
Bees / microbiology*
Geography
Nosema / isolation & purification*
Polymerase Chain Reaction
Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length
Uruguay