Microbial investigation on honey bee larvae showing atypical symptoms of European foulbrood
Year: 2015
Type: article
Abstract: Culture-dependent and culture-independent techniques were applied to investigate the bacterial communities occurring in 5-6 \ndays-old honey bee larvae (Apis mellifera L.), with evident symptoms of disease and healthy-looking ones. Samples were collected \nby the Bee Emergency Service Team (BeeNet Project) from two apiaries located in different geographical sites (North and \nSouth Italy). Observed symptoms were atypical, but very close to those attributed to the European foulbrood (EFB) and to the \nAmerican foulbrood (AFB), which are severe diseases affecting honey bee larvae worldwide. Isolates from diseased larvae were \nidentified as Enterococcus faecalis Schleifer et Kilpper-Balz and Paenibacillus dendritiformis Tcherpakov et al.. Melissococcus \nplutonius (ex White) Bailey et Collins corrig. Truper et de Clari, the causative agent of EFB, was detected by polymerase chain \nreaction in both diseased and healthy-looking larval samples, whereas Paenibacillus larvae White, the causative agent of the \nAFB, failed to be detected. Microbial profiles obtained by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis did not show relevant differences \namong samples, thus evidencing that the healthy-looking samples were partially affected. Besides confirming the presence \nof E. faecalis and P. dendritiformis, as found by plate count, the technique confirmed the presence of M. plutonius in all samples. \nThe study has evidenced that honey bee larvae were affected by the EFB, with the presence of an atypical Paenibacillus species as \nsecond invader, which presumably confers a different symptomatology to the diseased brood.
Language: English
Subfield: Insect Science
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W2555448749