Ectoparasitism in Black-and-White Ruffed Lemurs ( Varecia variegata) in Southeastern Madagascar.

We documented ectoparasites found on wild black-and-white ruffed lemurs ( Varecia variegata) in the southeastern rain forests of Madagascar and describe trends in parasitism. In this study, 235 mesostigmatid mites (1 male, 87 females, 147 nymphs) identified as Liponyssella sp., in the acarine family Macronyssidae, were collected during 87% (34/39) of lemur examinations (mean number/host=7.9). The only other ectoparasite collected was the louse fly ( Allobosca crassipes; 3 males, 8 females) in the dipteran family Hippoboscidae, which was collected during 26% (10/39) of lemur examinations (mean number/host=1.1). The lemur most heavily parasitized by mites was an adult female with 29 adult females and 17 nymphs, all collected from the face.

Beak and feather disease virus carriage by Knemidocoptes pilae in a sulphur-crested cockatoo (Cacatua galerita).

BACKGROUND: This paper describes the pathology associated with psittacine beak and feather disease in a wild sulphur-crested cockatoo with concurrent knemidocoptic mange, cestodiasis and mycotic encephalitis. METHODS & RESULTS: Large numbers of Knemidocoptes pilae Lavoipierre and Griffiths, 1951 (Acari: Epidermoptidae, Knemidokoptinae) were identified in affected skin associated with enhanced expression of beak and feather disease virus (BFDV) determined by immunohistochemistry. Also, BFDV antigen was demonstrated in high concentration in the gut and faecal sacs of mites, raising the possibility of ectoparasites as fomites and vectors of BFDV transmission. Large numbers of Raillietina spp. cestodes were present in the intestines. Within the brain there was a focally extensive region of necrosis and inflammation associated with branching, septate, pigmented hyphae consistent with zygomycete fungal infection. CONCLUSION: This case highlights the potential immunosuppressive effects of BFDV infection and its potential as a keystone pathogen in the Australian environment.

Risk factors for the presence of Deformed wing virus and Acute bee paralysis virus under temperate and subtropical climate in Argentinian bee colonies.

Beekeepers all across the world are suffering important losses of their colonies, and the parasitic mites Varroa destructor and Nosema sp, as well as several bee viruses, are being pointed out as the possible causes of these losses, generally associated with environmental and management factors. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the presence of seven virus species (Deformed wing virus -DWV-, Acute bee paralysis virus -ABPV-, Chronic bee paralysis virus -CBPV-, Black queen cell virus -BQCV-, Kashmir bee virus -KBV-, Israeli acute bee paralysis virus -IAPV-, and Sacbrood bee virus -SBV), as well as the prevalence of Nosema sp. and Varroa destructor, and their possible associated factors, under temperate and subtropical climate conditions in Argentinean colonies. A total of 385 colonies distributed in five Argentinean eco-regions were examined after honey harvest. The final multivariable model revealed only one variable associated with the presence of DWV and two with the presence of ABPV. The apiary random effect was significant in both cases (P=0.018; P=0.006, respectively). Colonies with a Varroa infestation rate >3% showed higher presence of DWV than colonies with <3% of Varroa infestation level (OR=1.91; 95% CI: 1.02-3.57; P<0.044). The same pattern was observed for the presence of ABPV (OR=2.23; 95% CI: 1.04-4.77; P<0.039). Also, colonies where replacement of old combs was not a common practice had higher presence of ABPV (OR=6.02; 95% CI: 1.16-31.25; P<0.033). Regardless of the location of the colonies, virus presence was strongly associated with V. destructor level. Therefore, all the factors that directly or indirectly influence the levels of mites will be also influencing the presence of the viruses.

First Records of the Syringophilid Mites (Acariformes: Prostigmata) Parasitizing Ibises and Spoonbills (Pelecaniformes: Threskiornithidae), With Description of Four New Species.

The parasitic quill mites of the family Syringophilidae (Acariformes: Prostigmata) are recorded on ibises and spoonbills (Pelecaniformes: Threskiornithidae) for the first time. Four new species of the genus Stibarokris Kethley, 1970 are described: 1) S. theristicus Skoracki, Zmudzinski & Unsoeld sp. nov. ex Theristicus caudatus (Boddaert, 1783) from Brazil, 2) S. geronticus Skoracki, Zmudzinski & Unsoeld sp. nov. ex Geronticus calvus (Boddaert, 1783) from South Africa, 3) S. brevisetosus Skoracki & Zmudzinski sp. nov. ex Plegadis falcinellus (L., 1766) from Turkey, and 4) S. plataleus Skoracki & Zmudzinski sp. nov. ex Platalea leucorodia L., 1758 from Austria. Additionally, a key to all described species in the genus is presented, and hypothesis of the Gondwanan origin of syringophilids associated with ibises and spoonbills is briefly discussed.

Intensively Cultivated Landscape and Varroa Mite Infestation Are Associated with Reduced Honey Bee Nutritional State.

As key pollinators, honey bees are crucial to many natural and agricultural ecosystems. An important factor in the health of honey bees is the availability of diverse floral resources. However, in many parts of the world, high-intensity agriculture could result in a reduction in honey bee forage. Previous studies have investigated how the landscape surrounding honey bee hives affects some aspects of honey bee health, but to our knowledge there have been no investigations of the effects of intensively cultivated landscapes on indicators of individual bee health such as nutritional physiology and pathogen loads. Furthermore, agricultural landscapes in different regions vary greatly in forage and land management, indicating a need for additional information on the relationship between honey bee health and landscape cultivation. Here, we add to this growing body of information by investigating differences in nutritional physiology between honey bees kept in areas of comparatively low and high cultivation in an area generally high agricultural intensity in the Midwestern United States. We focused on bees collected directly before winter, because overwintering stress poses one of the most serious problems for honey bees in temperate climates. We found that honey bees kept in areas of lower cultivation exhibited higher lipid levels than those kept in areas of high cultivation, but this effect was observed only in colonies that were free of Varroa mites. Furthermore, we found that the presence of mites was associated with lower lipid levels and higher titers of deformed wing virus (DWV), as well as a non-significant trend towards higher overwinter losses. Overall, these results show that mite infestation interacts with landscape, obscuring the effects of landscape alone and suggesting that the benefits of improved foraging landscape could be lost without adequate control of mite infestations.

Acaricide treatment affects viral dynamics in Varroa destructor-infested honey bee colonies via both host physiology and mite control.

Honey bee (Apis mellifera) colonies are declining, and a number of stressors have been identified that affect, alone or in combination, the health of honey bees. The ectoparasitic mite Varroa destructor, honey bee viruses that are often closely associated with the mite, and pesticides used to control the mite population form a complex system of stressors that may affect honey bee health in different ways. During an acaricide treatment using Apistan (plastic strips coated with tau-fluvalinate), we analyzed the infection dynamics of deformed wing virus (DWV), sacbrood virus (SBV), and black queen cell virus (BQCV) in adult bees, mite-infested pupae, their associated Varroa mites, and uninfested pupae, comparing these to similar samples from untreated control colonies. Titers of DWV increased initially with the onset of the acaricide application and then slightly decreased progressively coinciding with the removal of the Varroa mite infestation. This initial increase in DWV titers suggests a physiological effect of tau-fluvalinate on the host's susceptibility to viral infection. DWV titers in adult bees and uninfested pupae remained higher in treated colonies than in untreated colonies. The titers of SBV and BQCV did not show any direct relationship with mite infestation and showed a variety of possible effects of the acaricide treatment. The results indicate that other factors besides Varroa mite infestation may be important to the development and maintenance of damaging DWV titers in colonies. Possible biochemical explanations for the observed synergistic effects between tau-fluvalinate and virus infections are discussed.

The Acute bee paralysis virus-Kashmir bee virus-Israeli acute paralysis virus complex.

Acute bee paralysis virus (ABPV), Kashmir bee virus (KBV) and Israeli acute paralysis virus (IAPV) are part of a complex of closely related viruses from the Family Dicistroviridae. These viruses have a widespread prevalence in honey bee (Apis mellifera) colonies and a predominantly sub-clinical etiology that contrasts sharply with the extremely virulent pathology encountered at elevated titres, either artificially induced or encountered naturally. These viruses are frequently implicated in honey bee colony losses, especially when the colonies are infested with the parasitic mite Varroa destructor. Here we review the historical and recent literature of this virus complex, covering history and origins; the geographic, host and tissue distribution; pathology and transmission; genetics and variation; diagnostics, and discuss these within the context of the molecular and biological similarities and differences between the viruses. We also briefly discuss three recent developments relating specifically to IAPV, concerning its association with Colony Collapse Disorder, treatment of IAPV infection with siRNA and possible honey bee resistance to IAPV.

Socialized medicine: individual and communal disease barriers in honey bees.

Honey bees are attacked by numerous parasites and pathogens toward which they present a variety of individual and group-level defenses. In this review, we briefly introduce the many pathogens and parasites afflicting honey bees, highlighting the biology of specific taxonomic groups mainly as they relate to virulence and possible defenses. Second, we describe physiological, immunological, and behavioral responses of individual bees toward pathogens and parasites. Third, bees also show behavioral mechanisms for reducing the disease risk of their nestmates. Accordingly, we discuss the dynamics of hygienic behavior and other group-level behaviors that can limit disease. Finally, we conclude with several avenues of research that seem especially promising for understanding host-parasite relationships in bees and for developing breeding or management strategies for enhancing honey bee health. We discuss how human efforts to maintain healthy colonies intersect with similar efforts by the bees, and how bee management and breeding protocols can affect disease traits in the short and long term.

Deformed wing virus.

Deformed wing virus (DWV; Iflaviridae) is one of many viruses infecting honeybees and one of the most heavily investigated due to its close association with honeybee colony collapse induced by Varroadestructor. In the absence of V.destructor DWV infection does not result in visible symptoms or any apparent negative impact on host fitness. However, for reasons that are still not fully understood, the transmission of DWV by V.destructor to the developing pupae causes clinical symptoms, including pupal death and adult bees emerging with deformed wings, a bloated, shortened abdomen and discolouration. These bees are not viable and die soon after emergence. In this review we will summarize the historical and recent data on DWV and its relatives, covering the genetics, pathobiology, and transmission of this important viral honeybee pathogen, and discuss these within the wider theoretical concepts relating to the genetic variability and population structure of RNA viruses, the evolution of virulence and the development of disease symptoms.

Deformed wing virus: replication and viral load in mites (Varroa destructor).

Deformed wing virus (DWV) normally causes covert infections but can have devastating effects on bees by inducing morphological deformity or even death when transmitted by the ectoparasitic mite Varroa destructor. In order to determine the role of V. destructor in the development of crippled wings, we analysed individual mites for the presence and replication of DWV. The results supported the correlation between viral replication in mites and morphologically deformed bees. Quantification of viral genome equivalents revealed that mites capable of inducing an overt DWV infection contained 10(10)-10(12) genome equivalents per mite. In contrast, mites which could not induce crippled wings contained a maximum of only 10(8) viral genome equivalents per mite. We conclude that the development of crippled wings not only depends on DWV transmission by V. destructor but also on viral replication in V. destructor and on the DWV titre in the parasitizing mites.

The role of varroa mites in infections of Kashmir bee virus (KBV) and deformed wing virus (DWV) in honey bees.

To determine the roles of varroa mites in activating or vectoring viral infections, we performed quantitative comparison of viral infections between bees with and without mites by dot blot analysis and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Under natural and artificial mite infestations, bee pupae contained significantly higher levels of Kashmir bee virus (KBV) and deformed wing virus (DWV) RNAs and KBV structural proteins than mite-free pupae. Moreover, in mite-infested bee pupae, DWV had amplified to extremely high titers with viral genomic RNA being clearly visible after separation of total bee RNA in agarose gels. Linear regression analysis has shown a positive correlation between the number of mites introduced and the levels of viral RNAs. The detection of viral RNAs in the nymph and adult mites underline the possible role of varroa in virus transmission. However, most groups of virus-free adult mites (9/12) were associated with bee pupae heavily infected by viruses, suggesting that the elevated viral titers in mite-infested pupae more likely resulted from activated viral replication. Based on these observations and our concurrent research demonstrating suppressed immune responses in bees infested with mites, we propose that parasitization by varroa suppresses the immunity of honey bees, leading to activation of persistent, latent viral infection.

[Demodecidosis in a patient infected by HIV: successful treatment with ivermectin]. / Démodécie chez un malade infecté par le VIH: guérison par ivermectine.

INTRODUCTION: Demodex is a saprophyte parasite in mammals. In Man, it is associated with differing clinical profiles (rosacea-like dermatitis, folliculitis and blepharitis). We report a case of demodecidosis in an HIV-infected patient that was successfully treated with ivermectin. CASE REPORT: A man from Laos, infected by HIV and treated for glandular tuberculosis, presented with a prurigenous eruption on the face and the pre-sternal and interscapular areas. Direct examination of scraped product and histopathological examinations confirmed the diagnosis of demodecidosis. Clinical cure was obtained after 2 single cures of ivermectin a one month's distance. DISCUSSION: The features of demodecidosis are often similar to those of rosacea. In immunodeficient patients, the semiology remains the same but the eruption is more abundant. During HIV-infection, demodecidosis occurs at the AIDS stage or with a CD4 count lower than 200/mm3. Many anti-dust mite molecules are used to treat the disease but frequently lead to irritation. Administration of a single cure of ivermectin, repeated if necessary, appears to be an interesting alternative to contact anti-dust mite agents.

Occurrence of acute paralysis virus of the honey bee (Apis mellifera) in a Hungarian apiary infested with the parasitic mite Varroa jacobsoni.

Viruses of the honey bee have been known for a long time; however, recently the attention of scientists and apiculturalists has turned towards the relationship between these viruses and the parasitic mite Varroa jacobsoni. Although clinical symptoms indicated the presence of some of the viruses of bees in Hungary, none have previously been isolated or identified. During July unusual adult bee and brood mortality was observed in some colonies of an apiary in Budapest known to be infested with Varroa jacobsoni. Large amounts of acute paralysis virus (APV) were detected serologically in healthy honey bee pupae killed by the injection of a bacteria-free extract of diseased adult bees. Crystalline arrays of 30 nm particles were seen in ultrathin sections of the tissues of injected pupae and naturally infected adult bees. In spite of the application of acaricide treatments the bee population in several colonies had collapsed by the end of summer and the apiary suffered severe wintering losses.