Molecular Identification of Six Honeybee Viruses in Iranian Apiaries

The identification of honeybee viruses is of serious importance, particularly considering the lack of information on the natural incidence of viral infections in honeybee populations worldwide. Moreover, the global spread of Varroa destructor in honeybee colonies has a significant effect on the viral infection. In the present study, 160 samples of adult bee from apparently healthy colonies but with a background of parasitic diseases, tremor, and paralysis, were collected during 2011-2012. The samples belonged to 23 different provinces of Iran. They were sent to Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute, Karaj, Iran, for further analysis, and examined for the presence of viruses using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction assay. According to the results, out of 160 samples, 9 (5.8 %), 40 (25.6 %), 12 (7.8 %), 34 (21.8 %), 7 (4.5 %), and 29 (18.5%) cases were positive for acute bee paralysis virus (ABPV), black queen cell virus (BQCV), chronic bee paralysis virus (CBPV), deformed wing virus (DWV), Kashmir bee virus (KBV), and sacbrood virus (SBV). The samples collected from 18 provinces (78 %) were positive for at least one virus. Among all samples, 83 (53.2 %) specimens were infected with at least one virus. The highest prevalent virus was BQCV, followed by DWV, SBV, CBPV, ABPV, and KBV, respectively

Geographic information system (GIS) as a tool in the epidemiological assessment of wetwood disease on elm trees in Tabriz City, Iran

Plants disease epidemiology provides us with some information about the spread of diseases in different regions with various climates and helps us conduct suitable managing operations and predictions about the spread of disease to other areas. Geographic Information System (GIS) has been widely used as an important tool in epidemiological studies. Wetwood disease is one of the most important bacterial diseases on elm trees found in the Northwest of Iran. The disease has spread in different regions of Tabriz (located in the Northwest of Iran), which has become terribly epidemic. Geographic Information System as an appropriate tool in epidemiological examination of plant disease is useful in various ways. In this study, the epidemiology of bacterial wetwood disease on elm trees in Tabriz was investigated using GIS databases. The results indicate that the disease has become epidemic in different areas of Tabriz. According to the results, although the disease was not found in some regions, its severity was very high in some other areas. Based on the distribution map, the wetwood disease most highly exists in the central regions and some parts of the northern regions of the city, but eastern regions are least affected

First molecular detection of Chronic Bee Paralysis Virus (CBPV) in Iran

Among the viruses infecting honey bees, chronic bee paralysis virus (CBPV) is known to induce significant losses in honey bee colonies. CBPV is an unclassified polymorphic single stranded RNA virus. Using RT-PCR, the virus infections in honey bees can be detected in a rapid and accurate manner. Bee samples were collected from 23 provinces of Iran, between July-September 2011 and 2012. A total of 160 apiaries were sampled and submitted for virus screening. RNA extraction and RT-PCR were performed with QIAGEN kits. The primers lead to a fragment of 315 bp. The PCR products were electrophoresed in a 1.2 % agarose gel. Following the RT-PCR reaction with the specific primers, out of the 160 apiaries examined, 12 (7.5 %) were infected with CBPV. This is the first study of CBPV detection in Iranian apiaries. We identified CBPV in the collected samples from different geographic regions of Iran

Modirrousta 1

ABSTRACT Nosemosis is the most common disease in adult bees. Nosema apis and Nosema ceranae species are agents of important economic losses to beekeepers around the world. The severity of disease at various area is different. Previously, N. apis was observed in areas with a long winter, especially in late winter and early spring. But in recent years, disease has been reported in the warm seasons. The studies indicated that a new species as N. ceranae is involvement in loss and mortality in adult bees. Therefore, diagnosis and differentiation of Nosema species is importance at colony collapse disorders (CCD). The aim of this Research was a retrospective study on Nosema samples isolated from apiaries. Forty-one Nosema Sp. Positive samples were collected from five provinces during 2004 to 2013. The samples were tested by multiplex PCR method using both primers of N. ceranea and N. apis were simultaneously. All of samples were positive for N. ceranea. The products were sent for sequencing. The results show that N. ceranea has spread in Iran, from previous years almost simultaneously with other parts of the world

Development of PCR method for diagnosing of honey bee American Foulbrood disease

American foulbrood (AFB) disease is caused by the sporeforming bacterium Paenibacillus larvae larvae. Traditional diagnosis is based on culture technique is time and laboratory work consuming. In this study with standard strain, PCR was developed by specific primers and PCR products were electrophoresed on 0.8 % agarose gel. The PCR primers were selected on the basis of the 16S rRNA gene and amplify a 700-bp amplicon. Detection limits were determined for suspensions of bacteria and spores and also honey and larvae experimentally contaminated. The lowest number of bacteria and spores that were able to detect were respectively 28, 33, 330 and 243 cfu /ml. This PCR technique can be used to identification of the presence of Paenibacillus larvae larvae spores in honey samples, brood samples or on the colonies that grow on medium