Dose-dependent effects of antibiotic intake on Bombus Terrestris (Linnaeus, 1758) dietary intake, survival and parasite infection prevalence.
J Invertebr Pathol
; 182: 107580, 2021 06.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-33757819
ABSTRACT
Diseases may contribute to the widespread declines seen in many bee species. The gut bacteria of bees may serve as one defence against disease, by preventing pathogen colonisation. However, exposure to antibiotics on forage or in the hive may disrupt bee gut bacteria and remove this protective effect. A number of studies show that high antibiotic doses reduce bee health but the effects of field-realistic antibiotic doses remain unclear. Here, we test how Bombus terrestris (Linnaeus, 1758) is affected by multiple field-realistic concentrations of the antibiotic oxytetracycline, which is sometimes used to protect flowering crops from bacterial infections. We measured survival, feeding behaviour and the likelihood of developing infection with the gut parasitic trypanosome Crithidia bombi Lipa & Triggiani, 1988 following oral inoculation with a range of antibiotic doses. Rising antibiotic concentrations were associated with reduced survival and food consumption, and an increased likelihood of becoming infected with C. bombi. These effects were seen at antibiotic concentrations that are applied to crops and so may be encountered by foraging bees in the field. These results support the hypothesis that field-realistic antibiotic doses have lethal and sub-lethal effects on B. terrestris and highlight the importance of improving our understanding of how field-realistic antibiotic doses affect pollinators.
Palabras clave
Texto completo:
1
Bases de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Abejas
/
Apicultura
/
Interacciones Huésped-Parásitos
/
Antibacterianos
Tipo de estudio:
Prevalence_studies
/
Risk_factors_studies
Límite:
Animals
Idioma:
En
Revista:
J Invertebr Pathol
Año:
2021
Tipo del documento:
Article
País de afiliación:
Reino Unido