Molecular Identification of Nosema ceranae and Nosema apis in Native Bulgarian Honey Bee (Apis mellifera rodopica)

Molecular Identification of Nosema ceranae and Nosema apis in Native Bulgarian Honey Bee (Apis mellifera rodopica)

The aim of current study is to investigate the presence of two main microsporidian parasites N. apis and N. ceranae in Bulgarian local honey bee. The discrimination among two Nosema species was carried out on 18 individual samples. The 16S (SSU) rDNA gene region was analyzed and duplex PCR assay was performed. The results showed (1) the dominance of N. ceranae infection in Bulgaria (2) N. ceranae most likely switched its host to A. mellifera, probably within the last decade (3) N. ceranae is now a parasite on A. mellifera across worldwide. The rapid, long-distance dissemination of N. ceranae is likely due to transport of infected honey bees and/or by increased mobility of people, goods and livestock.