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Characteristics of Nosema ceranae infection in Serbian honey bee colonies

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Abstract

The incidence, symptoms and consequences of Nosema ceranae infection were monitored in 200 honey bee colonies in Serbia over 5 years (2008–2012) to reveal if they display characteristics described for nosemosis type C. Continual high frequency of N. ceranae-positive colonies was recorded within each study year, ranging from 73 to 98 %. A seasonal pattern in N. ceranae incidence was observed over 4 years (2008–2011). Symptoms traditionally attributed to Nosema apis infection were observed in the majority of N. ceranae-infected colonies, both among surviving and those that died. These symptoms could not serve as predictive markers for colony losses, as they were significantly more frequently observed among surviving colonies in 2010, 2011 and 2012. No clear association between N. ceranae infection and colony losses was affirmed neither during the winter nor during the summer season. Thus, N. ceranae infection in Serbian bees do not fit the characteristics for nosemosis type C.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development of the Republic of Serbia (grant No. III 46002).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Belgrade, Bul. oslobodjenja 18, 11000, Belgrade, Serbia

    Jevrosima Stevanovic, Predrag Simeunovic & Zoran Stanimirovic

  2. Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Belgrade, Bul. oslobodjenja 18, 11000, Belgrade, Serbia

    Bojan Gajic

  3. Department of Statistics, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Belgrade, Nemanjina 6, 11081, Belgrade-Zemun, Serbia

    Nada Lakic

  4. Institute of Zoology, Faculty of Biology, University of Belgrade, Studentski trg 16, 11000, Belgrade, Serbia

    Dejan Radovic

  5. Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, P.O. Box 7044, Ulls väg 16, 750 07, Uppsala, Sweden

    Ingemar Fries

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  1. Jevrosima Stevanovic
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  2. Predrag Simeunovic
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Correspondence to Jevrosima Stevanovic.

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Manuscript editor: David Tarpy

Caractéristiques de l’infection par Nosema ceranae dans les colonies d’abeilles de Serbie

Nosema ceranae / Apis mellifera / nosémose de type C / fèces / maladie de l’abeille

Merkmale der Infektionen mit Nosema ceranae in Bienenvölkern in Serbien

Nosema ceranae / Apis mellifera / Nosemose Typ C / Fäzes

Jevrosima Stevanovic and Predrag Simeunovic contributed equally to this work.

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Stevanovic, J., Simeunovic, P., Gajic, B. et al. Characteristics of Nosema ceranae infection in Serbian honey bee colonies. Apidologie 44, 522–536 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13592-013-0203-z

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