Published in Scientific Works. Series C. Veterinary Medicine, Vol. LXIII, Issue 1
Written by Florentin Gheorghe MILEA, Ion RADOI, Agripina ŞAPCALIU, Vasilică SAVU, Ovidiu POPA
Ascospherosis is an invasive mycosis occurring in Apis melifera bees, caused by Ascosphera apis that affects the 1-5 days aged bee larvae of maximum receptiveness at the age of 1-2 days. From the total of 18 apiaries identified in the active-inactive season 2016 in which the evolution of mycotic diseases was diagnosed, the chalk brood was present as a morbid entity with unique evolution in 10 apiaries (55.55 %), stone brood evolved in 2 apiaries (11.11 %), and mycotic diseases of mixed evolution were registered in 3 apiaries (16.66 %), out of which suspicions of major bacterial diseases in one apiary (5.55% cases) and in 2 apiaries evolved together with internal and external parasitoses (11.11 %). Regional incidence of chalk brood places the south-east area on first place having over 2/3 of positive tests. Season incidence of the chalk brood shows that over 38.8 % cases presented it at the end of the beekeeping season, and in the inactive season months (January – February) the incidence is minimum (11.11 % cases). Complex laboratory tests in all the 18 apiaries diagnosed positively with mycotic diseases permitted identification of Ascosphera apis spores in the samples collected from live bees intestines, pollen, bee bread and brood combs. Bee colonies in the monitored apiaries (59.56 %), in which ascopherosis evolved and did not present clinical signs, may be deemed infestation sources.
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