Low prevalence of honeybee viruses in Spain during 2006 and 2007.

RNA viruses that affect honeybees have been involved in colony losses reported around the world. The aim of the present work was to evaluate the prevalence and distribution of honeybee viruses during 2006-2007 in Spanish professional apiaries, and their association with colony losses. Four hundred and fifty-six samples from apiaries located in different geographic regions of Spain were analyzed. Thirty-seven percent of the samples had viral presence. Most (80%) had one virus and 20% two different viruses. All the analyzed viruses, Deformed Wing Virus (DWV), Israeli Acute Paralysis Virus (IAPV), Black Queen Cell Virus (BQCV), Sacbrood Virus (SBV) and Kashmir Bee Virus (KBV) were detected, but detection rates were lower than expected. According to these results and considering the high prevalence of other honeybee pathogens in Spain, the role of viruses in colony losses in Spain may be discussed.

Evaluation of secretory IgA childhood respiratory diseases.

Secretory IgA salivary concentration was studied, in order to investigate its influence as a possible causative role in groups of children affected by different respiratory diseases. Allergic bronchial asthma (n = 37), recurrent pneumonias (n = 11), recurrent upper airway infectious (n = 12) and a control group of healthy children (n = 25) were included. The sIgA mean concentration plus S.D. were: 26.0 +/- 11.5, 15.5 +/- 16.7, 21.2 +/- 15.6, 16.2 +/- 12.7 and 30.8 +/- 10.1, respectively. A statistically significant association between decreased or absent levels of sIgA and disease was found, but no correlation between alterations in sIgA concentrations and any class of serum immunoglobulin levels, or with any other analyzed variables could be established. Among the group of diseases studied, a statistically significant difference (p less than 0.01) was found between infectious asthma and controls, recurrent upper airway infections and controls, and between allergic and infectious asthma. These findings support the conclusion that a decrease or absence of sIgA is an important factor to be considered in infectious asthma, as well as in recurrent upper airway infectious diseases affecting children.