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Diagnosis and molecular detection of Paenibacillus larvae, the causative agent of American foulbrood in honey bees in Saudi Arabia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  30 June 2017

Mohammad Javed Ansari ,
Ahmad Al-Ghamdi ,
Adgaba Nuru ,
Ashraf Mohamed Ahmed ,
Tahany H. Ayaad ,
Khalid Ali Khan  and
Noori Al-Waili
Mohammad Javed Ansari*
Affiliation:
Bee Research Chair, Department of Plant Protection, College of Food and Agricultural Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, PO Box 2460, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Ahmad Al-Ghamdi
Affiliation:
Bee Research Chair, Department of Plant Protection, College of Food and Agricultural Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, PO Box 2460, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Adgaba Nuru
Affiliation:
Bee Research Chair, Department of Plant Protection, College of Food and Agricultural Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, PO Box 2460, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Ashraf Mohamed Ahmed
Affiliation:
Department of Zoology, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, PO Box 2455, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Tahany H. Ayaad
Affiliation:
Department of Zoology, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, PO Box 2455, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Khalid Ali Khan
Affiliation:
Bee Research Chair, Department of Plant Protection, College of Food and Agricultural Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, PO Box 2460, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Noori Al-Waili
Affiliation:
New York Medical Care For Nephrology, Richmond Hill, NY 11418, USA
*
*E-mail: [email protected]
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Abstract

Apis mellifera jemenitica, the only indigenous honey bee race of Saudi Arabia, is well adapted to the harsh local environmental conditions. A large-scale field survey was conducted to screen major Saudi Arabian beekeeping locations for infection by Paenibacillus larvae. Paenibacillus larvae is one of the major bacterial pathogens of honey bee broods and is the causative agent of American foulbrood disease. Larvae from samples suspected of infection were collected from different apiaries and homogenized in phosphate-buffered saline. Bacteria were isolated on MYPGP agar medium. Two bacterial isolates, ksuPL3 and ksuPL5 (16S rRNA GenBank accession numbers, KR780760 and KR780761, respectively), were subjected to molecular identification using P. larvae-specific primers. A BLAST sequence analysis revealed that the two isolates were P. larvae with more than 98% sequence identity. This detection of P. larvae in the indigenous honey bee is the first recorded incidence of this pathogen in Saudi Arabia. This study emphasizes the need for the relevant authorities to take immediate steps towards treating and limiting the spread of this disease throughout the country.

Keywords

Apis mellifera jemeniticamolecular detectionPaenibacillus larvaeSaudi Arabia
Type
Research Paper
Information
International Journal of Tropical Insect Science , Volume 37 , Issue 3 , September 2017 , pp. 137 - 148
Copyright
Copyright © icipe 2017 

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