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 6,569 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Workers of the honey bee subspecies Apis mellifera capensis (Eschscholtz) produce female offspring by thelytokous parthenogenesis and can parasitize colonies of other subspecies. In 1990, translocation of 400 colonies of A. m. capensis into the distribution area of A. m. scutellata by a commercial beekeeper triggered a dramatic parasitic phenomenon. Parasitized colonies died within a few months of infestation, and this resulted in the loss of tens of thousands of colonies by commercial beekeepers in the A. m. scutellata range in South Africa. To deal with the problem and to identify methods that would limit the impact of the social parasite, we investigated the link between beekeeping management and severity of parasitic infestations in terms of colony mortality and productivity. We demonstrate that colonies from apiaries subjected to migrations are very susceptible to infestation and consequently show dramatic mortality. Their productivity is also inferior to sedentary colonies and those in isolated apiaries in terms of honey yield and brood quantity. Furthermore, by concentrating hives in small areas and often in the vicinity of other beekeepers, cross-infestations can easily occur. This can undermine previously parasite-free beekeeping businesses. As a result of our surveys, we propose beekeeping practices based on locally trapped bees, reduced migration, and better control of parasite spread, thus promoting the conservation of these pollinators. If followed by all the South African beekeepers, these measures should limit the spread of the parasite until it is eliminated within a few years, after which full migratory beekeeping practices could resume.
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PMID:Human factors facilitating the spread of a parasitic honey bee in South Africa. 1657 17

The imported Harmonia axyridis ladybug infests homes in northern West Virginia from fall through spring, causing allergic disease. Retrospective single-practice chart reviews were performed: (1) all skin prick tests (1400 included ladybug) in a community allergy practice over 4 years and (2) clinical analysis of 400 randomly chosen patients. The usual adult aeroallergen skin test panel included ladybug and 57 other allergens. Statistics used were contingency table analyses and the kappa-statistic for concordance. Home infestation with ladybugs was most common in rural areas but did not predict ladybug sensitization (kappa = -0.02). Ladybug sensitization and allergy occurred at all ages. Ladybug sensitization occurred with 21% frequency compared with cat at 24% frequency, cockroach at 27% frequency, and dust mites at 40% frequency. Only ladybug showed a significant (p < 0.0001) skin test sensitization decreasing from rural (30%), mixed (21%), to urban (16%) home demographics. Isolated single-positive skin tests constituted 10% of dust mites, 6% of cockroach, 6% of ladybug, and 4% of cat-positive skin tests. Skin test concordance was strongest between the pairs: ladybug-cockroach (kappa = 0.36), cockroach-dust mite (kappa = 0.29), and dust mite-cat (kappa = 0.25). Ladybug is a major allergen in endemic areas, causing rhinoconjunctivitis (8% prevalence), asthma (2% prevalence), and urticaria (1% prevalence). Ladybug skin test sensitization is more common in rural areas and is comparable in frequency and age distribution with cat and cockroach. Cockroach and ladybug have a high degree of skin test concordance. A quality commercial ladybug allergen extract and increased ladybug allergen research are needed.
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PMID:Harmonia axyridis ladybug hypersensitivity in clinical allergy practice. 1739 Jul 58

Colony defense by honey bees, Apis mellifera, is associated with stinging and mass attack, fueled by the release of alarm pheromones. Thus, alarm pheromones are critically important to survival of honey bee colonies. Here we report that in the parasitic relationship between the European honey bee and the small hive beetle, Aethina tumida, the honey bee's alarm pheromones serve a negative function because they are potent attractants for the beetle. Furthermore, we discovered that the beetles from both Africa and the United States vector a strain of Kodamaea ohmeri yeast, which produces these same honey bee alarm pheromones when grown on pollen in hives. The beetle is not a pest of African honey bees because African bees have evolved effective methods to mitigate beetle infestation. However, European honey bees, faced with disease and pest management stresses different from those experienced by African bees, are unable to effectively inhibit beetle infestation. Therefore, the environment of the European honey bee colony provides optimal conditions to promote the unique bee-beetle-yeast-pollen multitrophic interaction that facilitates effective infestation of hives at the expense of the European honey bee.
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PMID:Multitrophic interaction facilitates parasite-host relationship between an invasive beetle and the honey bee. 1748 78

Iflavirus RNA was detected in honeybee colonies displaying unduly aggressive behavior and with no evidence of morphological alterations. Sequence analysis of the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) revealed that the iflavirus strain was more similar (> 99% aa) to Deformed Wing Virus (DWV), that has been associated with morphological alterations in bees, rather than to the newly-described Kakugo Virus (KV) (about 95% aa), that has been associated with increased aggressiveness. Therefore, the iflavirus strain detected in the Italian hives genetically resembled DWV but was apparently associated with a KV-like phenotype. RT-PCR detected the iflavirus RNA in the abdomen of the workers, and only in one case was the virus detected in the head. No viral RNA was detected in the drones, a pattern of virus distribution across the honeybee casts that is in apparent conflict with the higher rates of infestation of drones by the mite Varroa distructor. The identification of a virus with apparently intermediate features between DWV and KV open new perspectives on the patho-biological role of iflaviruses in honeybees.
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PMID:Detection of a honeybee iflavirus with intermediate characteristics between kakugo virus and deformed wing virus. 1912 97

The etiologies of chronic urticaria (CU) in childhood remains incompletely understood because of limited data in children. The objective of this study was to examine some of the possible etiologies of CU in children by focusing on the functional autoantibody to FcepsilonRIalpha and IgE, thyroid autoimmunity, urticarial vasculitis, parasitic infestation and food allergy. Children 4-15 yr of age with CU were investigated for complete blood count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), antinuclear antibody (ANA), CH(50), free-T4 (FT(4)), thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), anti-thyroglobulin and anti-microsomal antibody, autologous serum skin test (ASST), skin prick tests (SPT) for foods, food challenges, and stool examination for parasites. Ninety-four children who met the criteria for CU were recruited. Patients with physical urticaria were excluded. Eosinophilia and elevated ESR were found in 23% and 13%, respectively. High ANA titers were found in 2%. None of these patients had clinical features of urticarial vasculitis, abnormal CH(50) level, abnormal TSH and FT(4). Anti-thyroglobulin and anti-microsomal antibodies were not detected. Positive ASST was found in 38%. There were no differences in medication requirement and CU remission between patients with positive and negative ASST. Parasites were found in 5% without clinical correlation. SPT to foods was positive in 35%. Positive food challenges were found in six/nine patients with positive history of food allergy and two/seven patients with negative history. Food avoidance was beneficial to the subgroup of patients with positive history of food allergy only.
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PMID:Identification of the etiologies of chronic urticaria in children: a prospective study of 94 patients. 1955 53

A total of 300 patients from first day of life to 17 years of age were analysed for pattern of skin disorders. School going children formed majority (41.3%) of cases followed by preschool children (32%). Infections formed the commonest disorder (31 %) followed by eczemas (24%), papulosquamous disorders (12%), infestation (8.6%) and urticaria (5.3%) while vitiligo, acne vulgaris, alopecia areata and genodermatoses were seen in 2.7% cases each.
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PMID:Pattern of skin diseases in paediatric age group and adolescents. 2092 35

The significant resurgence of bedbugs in the past decade has been attributed to pesticide resistance, more frequent travel, lack of public awareness, and inadequate pest control programs. Bedbugs are obligate blood parasites (insect family Cimicidae). They can withstand a large range of temperatures but are attracted to warmth and carbon dioxide. They typically feed just before dawn. Cutaneous reactions to bedbug bites can include macules, papules, wheals, vesicles, bullae, and nodules. Bites may be confused with other skin conditions. Bedbug bite reactions are typically self-limited and resolve within one to two weeks without treatment. Bedbug infestation may cause significant psychological distress. The diagnosis of a bedbug infestation is based on history, appearance of bites, and inspection of sleeping quarters. Although there is no evidence that bedbugs transmit disease, systemic reactions may include asthma, angioedema, generalized urticaria, iron deficiency anemia, and, rarely, anaphylaxis. An integrated pest management strategy should be employed to eliminate infestation. Tactics include vacuuming, heat or cold treatment, trapping devices, and pesticides.
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PMID:Bedbug infestation. 2306 93

The present article discusses three cases of human infestation by Corythuca ciliata (Lace bugs), a parasite of plane trees. The cases were all in the Piedmont region of northwest Italy and the symptoms involved a large number of hives on the subjects' bodies which were scarcely or not at all itchy and which spontaneously cleared up in all the cases in less than 24 hours. It can be concluded that the Lace bug can be an agent of insect-caused dermatosis and this should be considered in examining subjects who visit or live near wooded areas which are infested.
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PMID:Dermatosis caused by Corythuca ciliata (Say, 1932) (Heteroptera, Tingidae). diagnostic and clinical aspects of an unrecognized pseudoparasitosis. 2439 8

In East Africa, honey bees (Apis mellifera) provide critical pollination services and income for small-holder farmers and rural families. While honey bee populations in North America and Europe are in decline, little is known about the status of honey bee populations in Africa. We initiated a nationwide survey encompassing 24 locations across Kenya in 2010 to evaluate the numbers and sizes of honey bee colonies, assess the presence of parasites (Varroa mites and Nosema microsporidia) and viruses, identify and quantify pesticide contaminants in hives, and assay for levels of hygienic behavior. Varroa mites were present throughout Kenya, except in the remote north. Levels of Varroa were positively correlated with elevation, suggesting that environmental factors may play a role in honey bee host-parasite interactions. Levels of Varroa were negatively correlated with levels of hygienic behavior: however, while Varroa infestation dramatically reduces honey bee colony survival in the US and Europe, in Kenya Varroa presence alone does not appear to impact colony size. Nosema apis was found at three sites along the coast and one interior site. Only a small number of pesticides at low concentrations were found. Of the seven common US/European honey bee viruses, only three were identified but, like Varroa, were absent from northern Kenya. The number of viruses present was positively correlated with Varroa levels, but was not correlated with colony size or hygienic behavior. Our results suggest that Varroa, the three viruses, and Nosema have been relatively recently introduced into Kenya, but these factors do not yet appear to be impacting Kenyan bee populations. Thus chemical control for Varroa and Nosema are not necessary for Kenyan bees at this time. This study provides baseline data for future analyses of the possible mechanisms underlying resistance to and the long-term impacts of these factors on African bee populations.
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PMID:Evaluation of the distribution and impacts of parasites, pathogens, and pesticides on honey bee (Apis mellifera) populations in East Africa. 2474 Mar 99

Varroa destructor is considered one of the major threats for worldwide apiculture. Damage caused by varroa mite includes body weight loss, malformation and weakening of the bees. It was also suggested as the main cause associated with colony winter mortality and as an important vector for several honey bee viruses. Little is known about multiple factors and their interaction affecting V. destructor prevalence in apiaries from South America. The aim of this study was to identify risk factors associated with V. destructor prevalence in east-central Argentina. Parasitic mite infestation level and colony strength measures were evaluated in 63 apiaries distributed in 4 different regions in east-central Argentina in a cross sectional study. Data regarding management practices in each apiary were collected by means of a questionnaire. A mixed-effects logistic regression model was constructed to associate management variables with the risk of achieving mite infestation higher than 3%. Colonies owned by beekeepers who indicated that they did not monitor colonies after mite treatment (OR=2.305; 95% CI: 0.944-5.629) nor disinfect hives woodenware material (OR=2.722; 95% CI: 1.380-5.565) were associated with an increased risk of presenting high intensity infestation with V. destructor (>3%). On the other hand, beekeepers who reported replacing more than 50% of the queens in their operation (OR=0.305; 95% CI: 0.107-0.872), feeding colonies protein substitute containing natural pollen (OR=0.348; 95% CI: 0.129-0.941) and feeding colonies High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) (OR=0.108; 95% CI: 0.032-0.364), had colonies that were less likely to have V. destructor infestations above 3%, than beekeepers who did not report using these management practices. Further research should be conducted considering that certain management practices were associated to mite infestation level in order to improve the sanitary condition in the colonies. Epidemiological studies provide key information to design surveillance programs against one the major threat to worldwide beekeeping.
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PMID:Risk factors associated with the presence of Varroa destructor in honey bee colonies from east-central Argentina. 2479 46


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