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Microsporidia: An Emerging Threat to Bumblebees?

M J F Brown1

  • 1School of Biological Sciences, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, TW20 0EX, UK.

Trends in Parasitology
|July 1, 2017
PubMed

Insights

Microsporidia cause emerging infectious diseases in bumblebees, potentially spread by commercial bees. More research is needed to understand pathogen spillover and protect bumblebee populations.

Area of Science:

  • Ecology
  • Pathogen Biology
  • Conservation Biology

Background:

  • Microsporidia are emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) that impact bumblebee populations.
  • Commercial bumblebees and managed honey bees are potential sources of pathogen spillover.
  • Declining bumblebee populations may increase susceptibility to microsporidia due to reduced genetic diversity.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the drivers of emerging infectious diseases in bumblebees.
  • To understand the role of managed bees in microsporidia spillover.
  • To identify the causes behind increased microsporidia prevalence in North America.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing data on microsporidia prevalence and bumblebee population dynamics.
  • Analysis of potential pathogen spillover pathways from managed bees.
  • Call for phylogenomic studies to determine microsporidia population structure.

Main Results:

  • Strong evidence suggests recent increases in Nosema bombi prevalence in North America.
  • Definitive data on microsporidia spillover is lacking, hindering cause identification.
  • The precise sources and pathways of microsporidia transmission remain unclear.

Conclusions:

  • Urgent need for phylogenomic studies to understand global microsporidia population structure in bumblebees.
  • Identifying pathogen sources is crucial for managing current and future epidemics.
  • Further research is required to mitigate the impact of microsporidia on bumblebee health and conservation.
Keywords:
BombusNosema bombiNosema ceranaeTubulinosema pampeanaemerging infectious disease

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