Black queen cell virus and Nosema ceranae coinfection in Africanized honey bees from southern Brazil

ABSTRACT: Bees are fundamental in several aspects, especially in relation to plant biodiversity and pollination. Recently, immense losses are being faced in the number of Brazilian colonies, mainly in southern states of the country, which has a strong beekeeping activity. There are indications that, among the reasons for the losses, pathogens that affect the health of bees may be involved. Among them, the microsporidium Nosema and the black queen cell virus (BQCV) stand out for their prevalence. In this study, 92 colonies of 17 apiaries from southern Brazil were evaluated for infection by Nosema ceranae, Nosema apis and BQCV. Nucleic acid extractions and cDNA synthesis were performed from adult bee samples, followed by Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) and multiplex PCR. Eight BQCV positive samples were subjected to sequencing. The results showed that N. ceranae and BQCV are circulating in the Southern region of the country, which may be the reason for the loss of colonies. N. apis was not found. N. ceranae was found in 57.6% (53/92) of the colonies and BQCV in 32.6% (30/92). Co-infection was found in 25% (23/92) of the colonies studied, a factor that is suggested to be reducing the hosts’ longevity due to the synergistic action of the pathogens. The samples submitted to sequencing indicated similarity of 96.8 to 100% between them, in addition to strong similarity with sequences from Asia, United States, Germany and Peru. This study reports the circulation of N. ceranae and BQCV in apiaries in southern Brazil, in addition to being the first phylogenetic analysis of the Brazilian BQCV sequence.

Download Full-text

Brain transcriptomes of honey bees ( Apis mellifera ) experimentally infected by two pathogens: Black queen cell virus and Nosema ceranae

Genomics Data ◽

10.1016/j.gdata.2016.09.010 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 10 ◽

pp. 79-82 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Vincent Doublet ◽

Robert J. Paxton ◽

Cynthia M. McDonnell ◽

Emeric Dubois ◽

Sabine Nidelet ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Apis Mellifera ◽

Honey Bees ◽

Nosema Ceranae ◽

Black Queen Cell Virus ◽

Queen Cell

Download Full-text

Identification of Africanized Honey Bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae) Incorporating Morphometrics and an Improved Polymerase Chain Reaction Mitotyping Procedure

Annals of the Entomological Society of America ◽

10.1093/aesa/92.2.167 ◽

1999 ◽

Vol 92 (2) ◽

pp. 167-174 ◽

Cited By ~ 24

Author(s):

David I. Nielsen ◽

Paul R. Ebert ◽

Greg J. Hunt ◽

Ernesto Guzmán-Novoa ◽

Scott A. Kinnee ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Polymerase Chain Reaction ◽

Honey Bees ◽

Chain Reaction ◽

Africanized Honey Bees ◽

Polymerase Chain

Download Full-text

Analysis of the complete genome sequence of black queen-cell virus, a picorna-like virus of honey bees

Journal of General Virology ◽

10.1099/0022-1317-81-8-2111 ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 81 (8) ◽

pp. 2111-2119 ◽

Cited By ~ 82

Author(s):

Neil Leat ◽

Brenda Ball ◽

Vandana Govan ◽

Sean Davison

Keyword(s):

South African ◽

Honey Bees ◽

Untranslated Region ◽

Rhopalosiphum Padi ◽

Amino Acid Sequences ◽

Nucleotide Sequence Analysis ◽

Black Queen Cell Virus ◽

Queen Cell ◽

African Honey Bees ◽

Plautia Stali

A virus with picorna-like biophysical properties was isolated from South African honey bees. On the basis of serology, it was identified as an isolate of black queen-cell virus (BQCV). Nucleotide sequence analysis revealed an 8550 nt polyadenylated genome containing two large ORFs. The 5′-proximal ORF (ORF 1) represented 4968 nt while the 3′-proximal ORF (ORF 2) represented 2562 nt. The ORFs were separated by a 208 nt intergenic region and were flanked by a 657 nt 5′-untranslated region and a 155 nt 3′-untranslated region. Deduced amino acid sequences for ORF 1 and ORF 2 were most similar to the non-structural and structural proteins, respectively, of Drosophila C virus (DCV), Rhopalosiphum padi virus (RhPV), Himetobi P virus (HiPV) and Plautia stali intestine virus (PSIV). It is proposed that BQCV belongs to the group of picorna-like, insect-infecting RNA viruses constituted by DCV, RhPV, HiPV and PSIV.

Download Full-text

Rapid detection of Van genes in rectal swabs by real time PCR in Southern Brazil

Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical ◽

10.1590/s0037-86822011000500021 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 44 (5) ◽

pp. 631-632

Author(s):

Vlademir Cantarelli ◽

Bianca Cavalcante ◽

Diogo André Pilger ◽

Fabiana Souza ◽

Cícero Gomes Dias ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Real Time ◽

Rapid Detection ◽

Surveillance Program ◽

Southern Brazil ◽

Rt Pcr ◽

Chain Reaction ◽

Vancomycin Resistant Enterococci ◽

Vancomycin Resistant ◽

Polymerase Chain ◽

Low Sensitivity

INTRODUCTION: Laboratory-based surveillance is an important component in the control of vancomycin resistant enterococci (VRE). METHODS: The study aimed to evaluate real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) (genes vanA-vanB) for VRE detection on 115 swabs from patients included in a surveillance program. RESULTS: Sensitivity of RT-PCR was similar to primary culture (75% and 79.5%, respectively) when compared to broth enriched culture, whereas specificity was 83.1%. CONCLUSIONS: RT-PCR provides same day results, however it showed low sensitivity for VRE detection.

Download Full-text

Incidence of acute bee paralysis virus, black queen cell virus, chronic bee paralysis virus, deformed wing virus, Kashmir bee virus and sacbrood virus in honey bees (Apis mellifera) in Denmark

Apidologie ◽

10.1051/apido:2008007 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 39 (3) ◽

pp. 310-314 ◽

Cited By ~ 51

Author(s):

Steen Lykke Nielsen ◽

Mogens Nicolaisen ◽

Per Kryger

Keyword(s):

Apis Mellifera ◽

Honey Bees ◽

Black Queen Cell Virus ◽

Deformed Wing Virus ◽

Sacbrood Virus ◽

Queen Cell ◽

Kashmir Bee Virus ◽

Acute Bee Paralysis Virus ◽

Bee Virus ◽

Paralysis Virus

Download Full-text

Changes in the reproductive ability of the mite Varroa destructor (Anderson e Trueman) in africanized honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) (Hymenoptera: Apidae) colonies in southern Brazil

Neotropical Entomology ◽

10.1590/s1519-566x2007000600018 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 36 (6) ◽

pp. 949-952 ◽

Cited By ~ 23

Author(s):

Francisco E. Carneiro ◽

Rogelio R. Torres ◽

Roger Strapazzon ◽

Sabrina A. Ramírez ◽

José C.V. Guerra Jr ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Apis Mellifera ◽

Honey Bees ◽

Varroa Destructor ◽

Southern Brazil ◽

Africanized Honey Bees ◽

Reproductive Ability

Download Full-text

Determination of Genetically Identical Strains of Four Honeybee Viruses in Bumblebee Positive Samples

Viruses ◽

10.3390/v12111310 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (11) ◽

pp. 1310

Author(s):

Ivan Toplak ◽

Laura Šimenc ◽

Metka Pislak Ocepek ◽

Danilo Bevk

Keyword(s):

Direct Sequencing ◽

Rt Pcr ◽

Black Queen Cell Virus ◽

Queen Cell ◽

Pcr Products ◽

Acute Bee Paralysis Virus ◽

Bee Virus ◽

Paralysis Virus ◽

High Diversity

In recent years, there has been growing evidence that certain types of honeybee viruses could be transmitted between different pollinators. Within a voluntary monitoring programme, 180 honeybee samples (Apis mellifera carnica) were collected from affected apiaries between 2007 and 2018. Also from August 2017 to August 2018, a total 148 samples of healthy bumblebees (Bombus lapidarius, B. pascuorum, B. terrestris, B. lucorum, B. hortorum, B. sylvarum, B. humilis) were collected at four different locations in Slovenia, and all samples were tested by using RT-PCR methods for six honeybee viruses. Direct sequencing of a total 158 positive samples (acute bee paralysis virus (ABPV n = 33), black queen cell virus (BQCV n = 75), sacbrood bee virus (SBV n = 25) and Lake Sinai virus (LSV n = 25)) was performed from obtained RT-PCR products. The genetic comparison of identified positive samples of bumblebees and detected honeybee field strains of ABPV, BQCV, SBV, and LSV demonstrated 98.74% to 100% nucleotide identity between both species. This study not only provides evidence that honeybees and bumblebees are infected with genetically identical or closely related viral strains of four endemically present honeybee viruses but also detected a high diversity of circulating strains in bumblebees, similar as was observed among honeybees. Important new genetic data for endemic strains circulating in honeybees and bumblebees in Slovenia are presented.

Download Full-text

An Investigation of Honey Bee Viruses Prevalence in Managed Honey Bees (Apis mellifera and Apis cerana) Undergone Colony Decline

The Open Microbiology Journal ◽

10.2174/1874285802115010058 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 15 (1) ◽

pp. 58-66

Author(s):

Chunying Yuan ◽

Xuejian Jiang ◽

Man Liu ◽

Sa Yang ◽

Shuai Deng ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Apis Mellifera ◽

Honey Bee ◽

Clinical Symptoms ◽

Apis Cerana ◽

Rt Pcr ◽

Black Queen Cell Virus ◽

Queen Cell ◽

Bee Virus ◽

Paralysis Virus ◽

Bee Viruses

Objective: In the absence of known clinical symptoms, viruses were considered to be the most probable key pathogens of honey bee. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence and distribution of honey bee viruses in managed Apis mellifera and Apis cerana in China. Methods: We conducted a screening of 8 honey bee viruses on A. mellifera and A. cerana samples collected from 54 apiaries from 13 provinces in China using RT-PCR. Results: We found that the types and numbers of viral species significantly differed between A. mellifera and A. cerana. Black Queen Cell Virus (BQCV), Chronic Bee Paralysis Virus (CBPV), Apis mellifera filamentous virus (AmFV), and Kakugo virus (DWV-A/KV) were the primary viruses found in A. mellifera colonies, whereas Chinese Sacbrood Bee Virus (CSBV) and Sacbrood Bee Virus (SBV) were the primary viruses found in A. cerana. The percentage infection of BQCV and CSBV were 84.6% and 61.6% in all detected samples. We first detected the occurrences of Varroa destructor virus-1 (VDV-1 or DWV-B) and DWV-A/KV in China but not ABPV in both A. mellifera and A. cerana. Conclusion: This study showed that BQCV and CSBV are the major threat to investigated A. mellifera and A. cerana colonies.

Download Full-text

Occurrence, detection, and quantification of economically important viruses in healthy and unhealthy honey bee (Hymenoptera: Apidae) colonies in Canada

The Canadian Entomologist ◽

10.4039/tce.2015.23 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 148 (1) ◽

pp. 22-35 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Suresh D. Desai ◽

Santosh Kumar ◽

Robert W. Currie

Keyword(s):

Polymerase Chain Reaction ◽

Honey Bee ◽

Multiple Infections ◽

Black Queen Cell Virus ◽

Chain Reaction ◽

Deformed Wing Virus ◽

Sacbrood Virus ◽

Queen Cell ◽

Polymerase Chain ◽

Paralysis Virus

AbstractThe occurrence, quantification, and distribution patterns of deformed wing virus (DWV) and sacbrood virus (SBV), (family Iflaviridae); black queen cell virus (BQCV), Israeli acute paralysis virus (IAPV), Kashmir bee virus (KBV), and acute bee paralysis virus (ABPV) (family Dicistroviridae), and chronic bee paralysis virus (CBPV) (unclassified), were characterised in 80 “healthy” honey bee (Apis mellifera Linnaeus; Hymenoptera: Apidae) colonies and 23 “unhealthy” colonies by employing reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for virus identification and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) for quantification. All seven viruses were common but the most prevalent viruses were DWV, followed by BQCV and IAPV. For most viruses, prevalence in surviving but unhealthy colonies in spring did not differ from that of healthy baseline colony levels in fall suggesting spring prevalence level would not be a useful metric for diagnosis of factors contributing to colony loss. Sacbrood virus was the only virus that was more prevalent in unhealthy colonies from Manitoba, Canada than in healthy from colonies across Canada but did not differ from healthy colonies within Manitoba. Multiple infections were ubiquitous with a few colonies having simultaneous infection with as many as five viruses. Among the three viruses quantified by qPCR, DWV had the highest relative concentrations in pooled samples of worker bees. Deformed wing virus was the only virus within healthy colonies that differed in fall concentration among provinces and was at high levels in unhealthy colonies. Black queen cell virus was positively correlated with IAPV across all samples. Our study provides the first major baseline study of viruses in Canadian honey bees.

Download Full-text