Honey Bee Pathogen Prevalence and Interactions in the Agri Province of Turkiye

Yakan S., Akpinar R., Geniel M., Celik S., Bozdeveci A.

SOCIOBIOLOGY, cilt.72, sa.3, 2025 (SCI-Expanded) identifier

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Cilt numarası: 72 Sayı: 3
  • Basım Tarihi: 2025
  • Doi Numarası: 10.13102/sociobiology.v72i3.11603
  • Dergi Adı: SOCIOBIOLOGY
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, Animal Behavior Abstracts, BIOSIS, CAB Abstracts, Veterinary Science Database, Directory of Open Access Journals
  • Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

This study examines the prevalence and interactions of bacterial, viral, and parasitic pathogens in honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) colonies in Agri Province, Turkiye. To iden-tify pathogens, samples collected from beekeeping enterprises across different regi-ons were analyzed using laboratory techniques, including bacterial culture isolation and one-step RT-PCR. No positivity was detected for Paenibacillus larvae, the causa-tive agent of American Foulbrood (AFB). Among viral pathogens, the Black Queen Cell Virus (BQCV) was found in 100% of the samples. In comparison, Apis mellifera Filamentous Virus (AmFV) and Sacbrood Virus (SBV) were detected in 90.9%, Defor-med Wing Virus (DWV) in 72.7%, Varroa destructor Virus-1 (VDV-1) in 18.2%, and Acute Bee Paralysis Virus (ABPV) and Israeli Acute Bee Paralysis Virus (IAPV) in 9.1% of the samples. Chronic Bee Paralysis Virus (CBPV) and Kashmir Bee Virus (KBV) were undetected. Nosema apis tested negative, whereas Nosema ceranae showed a 27.3% positivity rate, with 100% consistency between molecular and microscopic analyses. No Varroa mites were found in any of the colonies. These findings provide valuable insights into the prevalence of honey bee pathogens in Agri province, offering a fou-ndation for future research and disease management strategies.