Prevalence of Nosema ceranae in apiculture regions of Bahia State, Brazil

Abstract

Nosemosis is an important bee disease that is caused by microsporidia fungi of the Nosema genus, whose main etiological agents are Nosema apis and N. ceranae, both of which are found worldwide. In Brazil, the disease has been reported in several states but little is known about its occurrence and distribution in Bahia. This study identified the occurrence and distribution of nosemosis and its agents, N. apis and N. ceranae, in Apis mellifera L. bees collected from apiaries in the state of Bahia, Brazil. A total of 154 bee samples were collected and analyzed from 20 apiaries in six regions of the state. The hives sampled were evaluated for signs of the disease from December 2015 to July 2018. Molecular diagnosis was made using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). No signs of nosemosis were observed in the sampled apiaries, but from 154 samples analyzed via PCR, 96 were infected with N. ceranae. This pathogen was reported in samples from all six regions evaluated, and its occurrence in important apiculture regions of Bahia State is discussed in this study.