Open AccessThe prevalence of the honeybee brood pathogens A scosphaera apis , P aenibacillus larvae and M elissococcus plutonius in S panish apiaries determined with a new multiplex PCR assay
Author(s) -
GarridoBailón Encarna,
Higes Mariano,
MartínezSalvador Amparo,
Antúnez Karina,
Botías Cristina,
Meana Aránzazu,
Prieto Lourdes,
MartínHernández Raquel
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
microbial biotechnology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.287
H-Index - 74
ISSN - 1751-7915
DOI - 10.1111/1751-7915.12070
Subject(s) - american foulbrood , biology , brood , multiplex polymerase chain reaction , larva , microbiology and biotechnology , 16s ribosomal rna , polymerase chain reaction , ribosomal rna , multiplex , bacteria , gene , zoology , ecology , genetics
Summary The microorganisms A scosphaera apis , P aenibacillus larvae and M elissococcus plutonius are the three most important pathogens that affect honeybee brood. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the prevalence of these pathogens in honeybee colonies and to elucidate their role in the honeybee colony losses in S pain. In order to get it, a multiplex polymerase chain reaction ( PCR ) assay was developed to simultaneously amplify the16 S ribosomal ribonucleic acid ( rRNA ) gene of P . larvae and M . plutonius , and the 5.8 S rRNA gene of A . apis . The multiplex PCR assay provides a quick and specific tool that successfully detected the three infectious pathogens ( P . larvae , M . plutonius and A . apis ) in brood and adult honeybee samples without the need for microbiological culture. This technique was then used to evaluate the prevalence of these pathogens in S panish honeybee colonies in 2006 and 2007, revealing our results a low prevalence of these pathogens in most of the geographic areas studied.