Dimethyl sulfoxide, an alternative for control of Nosema ceranae infection in honey bees (Apis mellifera).

Nosema ceranae is a microsporidian parasite that threatens current apiculture. N. ceranae-infected honey bees (Apis mellifera) exhibit morbid physiological impairments and reduced honey production, malnutrition, shorter life span, and higher mortality than healthy honey bees. In this study, we found that dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) could enhance the survival rate of N. ceranae-infected honey bees. Therefore, we investigated the effect of DMSO on N. ceranae-infected honey bees using comparative RNA sequencing analysis. Our results revealed that DMSO was able to affect several biochemical pathways, especially the metabolic-related pathways in N. ceranae-infected honey bees. Based on these findings, we conclude that DMSO may be a useful alternative for treating N. ceranae infection in apiculture.

Monitoring the Season-Prevalence Relationship of Vairimorpha ceranae in Honey Bees (Apis mellifera) over One Year and the Primary Assessment of Probiotic Treatment in Taichung, Taiwan.

Microsporidiosis, which is caused by the pathogen Vairimorpha ceranae, is a prevalent disease in the honey bee (Apis mellifera) and might lead to significant adult honey bee mortality. In this study, we conducted an annual survey of the mature spore load of V. ceranae in the guts of nurse bees and forager bees in the apiary of National Chung Hsing University (NCHU) in Taiwan. The results indicated that, on average, honey bees hosted approximately 2.13 × 106 mature spore counts (MSCs)/bee in their guts throughout the entire year. The highest number of MSCs was 6.28 × 106 MSCs/bee, which occurred in April 2020, and the lowest number of MSCs was 5.08 × 105 MSCs/bee, which occurred in November 2020. Furthermore, the guts of forager bees had significantly higher (>58%) MSCs than those of nurse bees. To evaluate the potential of the probiotic to treat microsporidiosis, the lactic acid bacterium Leuconostoc mesenteroides TBE-8 was applied to honey bee colonies. A significant reduction (>53%) in MSCs following probiotic treatment was observed, indicating the potential of probiotic treatment for managing microsporidiosis. This research provided information on V. ceranae MSCs in the honey bee gut at NCHU in Taiwan and the MSCs' correlation with the annual season. Furthermore, a potential probiotic treatment for microsporidiosis was assessed for future management.