AUTHOR=Burnham Andre J. 

TITLE=Scientific Advances in Controlling Nosema ceranae (Microsporidia) Infections in Honey Bees (Apis mellifera)

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Veterinary Science

VOLUME=6

YEAR=2019

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/veterinary-science/articles/10.3389/fvets.2019.00079

DOI=10.3389/fvets.2019.00079

ISSN=2297-1769

ABSTRACT=<p>Honey bees (<italic>Apis mellifera</italic>) are agriculturally important pollinators that have been recently at risk to severe colony losses. A variety of parasites and pathogens have been linked to colony decline, including the microsporidian parasite <italic>Nosema ceranae</italic>. While fumagillin has been used to control nosemosis in managed honey bee colonies for decades, research shows that this antibiotic poses a toxic threat and that its efficacy against <italic>N. ceranae</italic> is uncertain. There is certainly a demand for a new veterinary medication to treat honey bee colonies infected with <italic>N. ceranae</italic>. In this review, recent scientific advances in controlling <italic>N. ceranae</italic> infections in honey bees are summarized.</p>