Publication Database

Significant, but not biologically relevant: Nosema ceranae infections and winter losses of honey bee colonies (2023)

Art

Zeitschriftenartikel / wissenschaftlicher Beitrag

Autoren

Schüler, Vivian

Liu, Yuk-Chien

Gisder, Sebastian

Horchler, Lennart

Groth, Detlef

Genersch, Elke (WE 6)

Quelle

Communications biology

Bandzählung: 6

Heftzählung: 1

Seiten: Artikel 229

ISSN: 2399-3642

Sprache

Englisch

Verweise

URL (Volltext): https://www.nature.com/articles/s42003-023-04587-7

DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-04587-7

Kontakt

Institut für Immunologie

Robert-von-Ostertag-Str. 7-13
14163 Berlin
+49 30 838 51834
immunologie@vetmed.fu-berlin.de

Abstract / Zusammenfassung

The Western honey bee Apis mellifera, which provides about 90% of commercial pollination, is under threat from diverse abiotic and biotic factors. The ectoparasitic mite Varroa destructor vectoring deformed wing virus (DWV) has been identified as the main biotic contributor to honey bee colony losses worldwide, while the role of the microsporidium Nosema ceranae is still controversially discussed. In an attempt to solve this controversy, we statistically analyzed a unique data set on honey bee colony health collected from a cohort of honey bee colonies over 15 years and comprising more than 3000 data sets on mite infestation levels, Nosema spp. infections, and winter losses. Multivariate statistical analysis confirms that V. destructor is the major cause of colony winter losses. Although N. ceranae infections are also statistically significantly correlated with colony losses, determination of the effect size reveals that N. ceranae infections are of no or low biological relevance.