The stability and effectiveness of fumagillin in controlling Nosema ceranae (Microsporidia) infection in honey bees (Apis mellifera) under laboratory and field conditions

• DOI: 10.1007/s13592-011-0003-2
• Publication Date: 2011-07-06T19:43:47Z
• Authors: Mariano Higes; María J. Nozal; Ana Alvaro; Laura Barrios; Aranzazu Meana; Raquel Martín-Her...; José L. Bernal; José Bernal
• Keywords: [SDV.BA.ZI]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Animal biology/Invertebrate Zoology; [SDV.EE]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Ecology, environment; 0301 basic medicine; 2. Zero hunger; 03 medical and health sciences; [SDV.SA.SPA]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Agricultural sciences/Animal production studies; [SDV.BID]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Biodiversity

The authors wish to thank the Spanish Ministry of Medio Ambiente, Medio Rural y Marino, the Consejería de Agricultura y Desarrollo Rural, and the Consejería de Educación y Ciencia for their financial support (projects RTA2008-0020-CO2-02 and API006-009, PAI09-0022-1264).<br/>Peer Reviewed<br/>Honey bees play an important role in food production (honey, pollen etc.), and their pollinating activity is not only essential to maintain world agriculture production but also to ensure biodiversity in different ecosystems. Nosema ceranae is a highly prevalent worldwide pathogen for honey bees that has been related to colony losses. A commercial formulation that contains fumagillin dicyclohexylamine, Fumidil B®, can control N. ceranae infection. However, the effectiveness of Fumidil B® is affected by several factors, such as storage, treatment preparation, the quantity consumed by bees etc. Indeed, UV exposure (e.g. sunlight) drastically reduces the initial concentration of fumagillin within a few hours, while temperature affects its degradation. Although laboratory tests suggest that a semisolid mixture of honey and powdered sugar is the best option to apply fumagillin, its application in syrup (250 mL per dosage) is more effective for the treatment of infected colonies. The total amount of syrup containing fumagillin ingested by honey bees is a key factor in its efficacy, and it has been found that medicated patties were not fully consumed in field trials. In honey bee colonies, the dose of 120 mg/honey bee colony at the recommended posology is effective against depopulation and colony death due to N. ceranae after 1 year, without residues being detected in honey, although reinfection could be detected 4 months after treatment ended. © INRA, DIB-AGIB and Springer Science+Business Media B.V., 2011.<br/>