Nosema spp. infection and its negative effects on honey bees (Apis mellifera iberiensis) at the colony level.

ABSTRACT: Nosemosis caused by the microsporidia Nosema apis and Nosema ceranae are among the most common pathologies affecting adult honey bees. N. apis infection has been associated with a reduced lifespan of infected bees and increased winter mortality, and its negative impact on colony strength and productivity has been described in several studies. By contrast, when the effects of nosemosis type C, caused by N. ceranae infection, have been analysed at the colony level, these studies have largely focused on collapse as a response to infection without addressing the potential sub-clinical effects on colony strength and productivity. Given the spread and prevalence of N. ceranae worldwide, we set out here to characterize the sub-clinical and clinical signs of N. ceranae infection on colony strength

SUBMITTER: Botias C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3640932 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature