Prevalence of nosema ceranae in north and south regions of Azerbaijan

Abstract

Nosemosis is one of the most dangerous infectious diseases of honeybees in Azerbaijan and the world. Nosema ceranae is the dominant species in Azerbaijan, and this study aimed to detect the prevalence of the infection in the country. For this purpose, an average of 100 honeybee samples were collected from 64 hives, 24 from three regions in the north and 40 from five areas in the south. In the lab, the abdomens of 50 bees from each group were dissected and crushed in a container, adding 50 ml of distilled water. According to obtained data after microscopic examination, the N. ceranae spores were found to have a high-level prevalence in northern regions (45.8% average) than in the southern areas (22.5% average) in Azerbaijan. Molecular diagnoses of Nosema-positive samples have been performed with PCR and N. ceranae has been detected from all regions. Data show us that the Nosemosis is common in Azerbaijan and is a significant threat in the beekeeping industry.