First identification of Nosema ceranae (Microsporidia) infecting Apis mellifera in Venezuela

LEONARDO P. PORRINI; MARTIN P. PORRINI; PAULA M. GARRIDO; JUDITH PRINCIPAL; CARLOS J. BARRIOS SUAREZ; BRIGITTE BIANCHI,; PEDRO J. FERNANDEZ IRIARTE; MARTÍN J. EGUARAS

JOURNAL OF APICULTURAL SCIENCE

RESEARCH INST POMOLOGY FLORICULTURE

Año: 2017

1643-4439

Nosema ceranae is a pathogen of Apis mellifera, which seems to have jumped from itsoriginal host Apis ceranae. Nosemosis affecting the honey bee Apis mellifera is causedby two parasitic fungi described as etiologic agents of the disease. Nosema apis was theonly microsporidian infection described in A. mellifera until N. ceranae was identified inTaiwan and Europe. Nosema spp. positive samples of adult worker bees from Lara state,Venezuela, were determined by light microscopy of spores. Then, samples were tested todetermine species using previously reported PCR primers for the 16S rRNA gene. Due itis difficult to distinguish N. apis and N. ceranae morphologically; a Multiplex PCR assayhas been used to differentiate both species. Only N. ceranae was found in analyzedsamples and percentage of infected foragers fluctuated between 18% and 60%.