Screening alternative therapies to control Nosemosis type C in honey bee (Apis mellifera iberiensis) colonies

doi:10.1016/j.rvsc.2013.09.012

Research in Veterinary Science

Volume 95, Issue 3, December 2013, Pages 1041-1045

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rvsc.2013.09.012 Get rights and content

Abstract

Nosemosis type C caused by the microsporidium Nosema ceranae is one of the most widespread of the adult honey bee diseases, and due to its detrimental effects on both strength and productivity of honey bee colonies, an appropriate control of this disease is advisable. Fumagillin is the only veterinary medicament recommended by the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) to suppress infections by Nosema, but the use of this antibiotic is prohibited in the European Union and few alternatives are available at present to control the disease. In the present study three therapeutic agents (Nosestat®, Phenyl salicylate and Vitafeed Gold®) have been tested to control N. ceranae infection in honey bee colonies, and have been compared to the use of fumagillin. None of the products tested was effective against Nosema under our experimental conditions. Low consumption of the different doses of treatments may have had a strong influence on the results obtained, highlighting the importance of this issue and emphasizing that this should be evaluated in studies to test therapeutic treatments of honey bee colonies.

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Acknowledgements

We wish to thank J. Almagro, J. García, E. Garrido Bailón, S. Rodrigo, P. Gaspar, A. Sanz, V. Albendea, A. Cepero, T. Corrales, C. Rogerio, C. Abascal and S. Sagastume for their technical support. This study was funded by the Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha (Consejería de Agricultura and Consejería de Educación) and INIA-FEDER funds (RTA2012-00076-C02-01).

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Cited by (33)

Antifungal activity of “HO21-F”, a formulation based on Olea europaea plant extract, in honey bees infected with Nosema ceranae
2022, Journal of Invertebrate Pathology
Citation Excerpt :
Other authors have screened several plant extracts and reported spore load reductions from 20 to 60 % (Botías et al., 2013; Bravo et al., 2017; Chaimanee et al., 2021; Cilia et al., 2020). However they experienced seasonal variations in consumption rates from 38 to 100 % that can affect the effectivity of the treatments (Botías et al., 2013). This is an important factor that must be kept in consideration, which is directly related to the palatability of the formulations.
Nosema ceranae is a microsporidium parasite that silently affects honey bees, causing a disease called nosemosis. This parasite produces resistant spores and germinates in the midgut of honey bees, extrudes a polar tubule that injects an infective sporoplasm in the host cell epithelium, proliferates, and produces intestinal disorders that shorten honey bee lifespan. The rapid extension of this disease has been reported to be widespread among adult bees, and treatments are less effective and counterproductive weakening colonies. This work aimed to evaluate the antifungal activity of a prototype formulation based on a non-toxic plant extract (HO21-F) against N. ceranae. In laboratory, honey bees were infected artificially, kept in cages for 17 days and samples were taken at 7 and 14 days post infection (dpi). At the same time, in field conditions we evaluated the therapeutic effect of HO21-F for 28 days in naturally infected colonies. The effectiveness of the treatment has been demonstrated by a reduction of 83.6 % of the infection levels observed in laboratory conditions at concentrations of 0.5 and 1 g/L without affecting the survival rate. Besides, in-field conditions we reported a reduction of 88 % of the infection level at a concentration of 2.5 g/L, obtaining better antifungal effectiveness in comparison to other commercially available treatments.
As a result, we observed that the use of HO21-F led to an increase in population size and honey production, both parameters associated with colony strength. The reported antifungal activity of HO21-F against N. ceranae, with a significant control of spore proliferation in worker bees, suggests the promising commercial application use of this product against nosemosis, and it will encourage new research studies to understand the mechanism of action, whether related to the spore-inhibition effect and/or a stimulating effect in natural response of colonies to counteract the disease.
Plant-based supplement containing B-complex vitamins can improve bee health and increase colony performance
2021, Preventive Veterinary Medicine
Citation Excerpt :
In our study, the increase in honey and pollen/bee bread reserves was recorded in supplement-treated group throughout the experiment both in summer and spring. Increase in food reserves was detected in colonies treated with products such as Nosestat®, phenyl salicylate and Vitafeed Gold® (Botías et al., 2013), but also in those fed on an extract of A. brasilensis (Stevanovic et al., 2018). Besides these effects, in bee colonies fed with B + supplement in our experiment, in spring even the activity of the queen bees was preserved, which was manifested by larger brood area in comparison with the control group.
It is common knowledge that nutritive stress resulting from decreased diversity and quality of food, pollution of food sources and beekeeping errors may lead to increased susceptibility of bees to pathogens and pesticides. The dearth of adequate food is frequently compensated with supplements. Thus, this research was aimed to study the effects of the plant-based supplement B + on colony strength (assessed according to open and sealed brood area, honey and pollen/bee bread reserves, and the number of adult bees). In addition, Nosema ceranae spores and viruses were quantified and the level of infestation with Varroa destructor assessed. The experiment was conducted in late summer and early spring. In colonies which were given B + in feed a significant increase (p < 0.05) in the parameters of colony strength were noticed in comparison to the control (colonies fed on sugar syrup). Moreover, it was proven that the bees from these colonies had significantly lower (p < 0.05) N. ceranae spore counts, and acute bee paralysis, deformed wing and sacbrood virus loads. Our results suggest that the addition of B + supplement to the colonies provide them with nutrients, contribute to their strengthening, might prevent nutritive stress and increase the success of bees in combating pathogens.
Evaluating the Efficacy of Common Treatments Used for Vairimorpha (Nosema) spp. Control
2023, Applied Sciences (Switzerland)
The Efficacy of Thyme, Peppermint, Eucalyptus Essential Oils, and Nanoparticle Ozone on Nosemosis in Honey Bees
2023, Kafkas Universitesi Veteriner Fakultesi Dergisi
Insights into the Role of Natural Products in the Control of the Honey Bee Gut Parasite (Nosema spp.)
2022, Animals
Epidemiology of the Microsporidium Nosema ceranae in Four Mediterranean Countries
2022, Insects

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Research in Veterinary Science

Abstract

Section snippets

Acknowledgements

References (34)

Does fumagillin control the recently detected invasive parasite Nosema ceranae in western honey bees (Apis mellifera)?

Journal of Invertebrate Pathology

The microsporidian parasites Nosema ceranae and Nosema apis are widespread in honeybee (Apis mellifera) colonies across Scotland

Parasitology Research

The effect of induced queen replacement on Nosema spp. infection in honey bee (Apis mellifera iberiensis) colonies

Environmental Microbiology

Nosema spp. parasitization decreases the effectiveness of acaricide strips (Apivar ®) in treating varroosis of honey bee (Apis mellifera iberiensis) colonies

Environmental Microbiology Reports

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

Veterinary Research

Effect of thymol and resveratrol administered with candy or syrup on the development of Nosema ceranae and on the longevity of honeybees (Apis mellifera L.) in laboratory conditions

Apidologie

Nosema apis, sampling techniques and honey yield

Journal of Apicultural Research

Physiological and behavioral changes in honey bees (Apis mellifera) induced by Nosema ceranae infection

PLoS One

The effect of fumagillin in honey-sugar patties on suppression of nosema disease of the honeybee (Apis mellifera) in mating nuclei

Veterinarski Arhiv

How natural infection by Nosema ceranae causes honey bee colony collapse

Environmental Microbiology

Nosema ceranae in Europe: an emergent type C nosemosis

Apidologie

The stability and effectiveness of fumagillin in controlling Nosema ceranae (Microsporidia) infection in honey bees (Apis mellifera) under laboratory and field conditions

Apidologie

Nosema ceranae (Microsporidia), a controversial 21st century honey bee pathogen

Environmental Microbiology

Cited by (33)

Antifungal activity of “HO21-F”, a formulation based on Olea europaea plant extract, in honey bees infected with Nosema ceranae

Plant-based supplement containing B-complex vitamins can improve bee health and increase colony performance

Evaluating the Efficacy of Common Treatments Used for Vairimorpha (Nosema) spp. Control

The Efficacy of Thyme, Peppermint, Eucalyptus Essential Oils, and Nanoparticle Ozone on Nosemosis in Honey Bees

Insights into the Role of Natural Products in the Control of the Honey Bee Gut Parasite (Nosema spp.)

Epidemiology of the Microsporidium Nosema ceranae in Four Mediterranean Countries