Neonicotinoid and fungicide exposure has been linked to immunosuppression and increased susceptibility to disease in honeybees (). European foulbrood, caused by the bacterium , is a disease of honeybee larvae which causes economic hardship for commercial beekeepers, in particular those whose colonies pollinate blueberries. We report for the first time in Canada, an atypical variant of isolated from a blueberry-pollinating colony. With this isolate, we used an larval infection system to study the effects of pesticide exposure on the development of European foulbrood disease. Pesticide doses tested were excessive (thiamethoxam and pyrimethanil) or maximal field-relevant (propiconazole and boscalid). We found that chronic exposure to the combination of thiamethoxam and propiconazole significantly decreased the survival of larvae infected with , while larvae chronically exposed to thiamethoxam and/or boscalid or pyrimethanil did not experience significant increases in mortality from infection . Based on these results, individual, calculated field-realistic residues of thiamethoxam and/or boscalid or pyrimethanil are unlikely to increase mortality from European foulbrood disease in honeybee worker brood, while the effects of field-relevant exposure to thiamethoxam and propiconazole on larval mortality from European foulbrood warrant further study.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7240397PMC
http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/insects11040252DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

european foulbrood
20
honeybee larvae
8
disease honeybee
8
foulbrood disease
8
thiamethoxam propiconazole
8
thiamethoxam and/or
8
and/or boscalid
8
boscalid pyrimethanil
8
mortality european
8
european
5

Similar Publications

European Foulbrood (EFB) is a severe bacterial disease affecting honeybees, primarily caused by the Gram-positive bacterium . Although the presence of is associated with EFB, it does not consistently predict the manifestation of symptoms, and the role of 'secondary invaders' in the disease's development remains a subject of ongoing debate. This review provides an updated synthesis of the microbial ecological factors that influence the expression of EFB symptoms, which have often been overlooked in previous research.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Honey is a food of great nutritional importance and has always been used for human consumption. The production of honey and other beekeeping products depends on the proper functioning of this extremely important sector, as it has a direct impact on other sectors such as agriculture. The decline in bee colony numbers has been linked, among other factors, to bacterial diseases affecting bees, including American and European foulbrood, and spp.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

European foulbrood (EFB) is a prevalent disease in the European honey bee () in the United States, which can lead to colony decline and collapse. The bacterial components of EFB are well-studied, but the diversity of viral infections within infected colonies has not been explored. In this study, we use meta-transcriptomics sequencing of 12 honey bee hives, symptomatic (+, = 6) and asymptomatic (-, = 6) for EFB, to investigate viral infection associated with the disease.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Highbush blueberry pollination depends on managed honey bees (Apis mellifera) L. for adequate fruit sets; however, beekeepers have raised concerns about the poor health of colonies after pollinating this crop. Postulated causes include agrochemical exposure, nutritional deficits, and interactions with parasites and pathogens, particularly Melisococcus plutonius [(ex.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!