Honey bee colonies act as reservoirs for two Spiroplasma facultative symbionts and incur complex, multiyear infection dynamics

Autor(es)

Schwarz, Ryan S. ^[1] ; Teixeira, Erica Weinstein ^[2] ; Tauber, James P. ^[1] ; Birke, Juliane M. ^[1] ; Martins, Marta Fonseca ^[3] ; Fonseca, Isabela ^[3] ; Evans, Jay D. ^[1]

Afiliação do(s) autor(es)

^[1] USDA, Bee Res Lab, Beltsville, MD 20705 - USA

^[2] Sao Paulo State Agribusiness Technol Agcy APTA, Honey Bee Hlth Lab LASA, BR-12400970 Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[3] Embrapa Dairy Cattle, Mol Genet Lab, BR-36038330 Juiz De Fora, MG - Brazil

• Tipo de documento: Artigo Científico
• Fonte: MICROBIOLOGYOPEN; v. 3, n. 3, p. 341-355, JUN 2014.
• Citações Web of Science: 18

Resumo

Two species of Spiroplasma (Mollicutes) bacteria were isolated from and described as pathogens of the European honey bee, Apis mellifera, similar to 30 years ago but recent information on them is lacking despite global concern to understand bee population declines. Here we provide a comprehensive survey for the prevalence of these two Spiroplasma species in current populations of honey bees using improved molecular diagnostic techniques to assay multiyear colony samples from North America (U.S.A.) and South America (Brazil). Significant annual and seasonal fluctuations of Spiroplasma apis and Spiroplasma melliferum prevalence in colonies from the U.S.A. (n = 616) and Brazil (n = 139) occurred during surveys from 2011 through 2013. Overall, 33% of U.S.A. colonies and 54% of Brazil colonies were infected by Spiroplasma spp., where S. melliferum predominated over S. apis in both countries (25% vs. 14% and 44% vs. 38% frequency, respectively). Colonies were co-infected by both species more frequently than expected in both countries and at a much higher rate in Brazil (52%) compared to the U.S.A. (16.5%). U.S.A. samples showed that both species were prevalent not only during spring, as expected from prior research, but also during other seasons. These findings demonstrate that the model of honey bee spiroplasmas as springtime-restricted pathogens needs to be broadened and their role as occasional pathogens considered in current contexts. (AU)

• Processo FAPESP: 12/18802-3 - Identificação de patógenos de abelhas em produtos apícolas comercializados no Estado de São Paulo e perfil da sanidade apícola no Vale do Ribeira, SP
• Beneficiário: Érica Weinstein Teixeira
• Modalidade de apoio: Auxílio à Pesquisa - Regular