Search

The mulberry silkworm, Bombyx mori L. (Lepidoptera: Bombycidae) is affected by numerous diseases like Grassery, caused by the nuclear polyhedrosis virus (BmNPV). The management and control of these diseases mainly consist of prevention and early diagnosis. The objective of this work was aimed at the diagnosis of the virus BmNPV associated with the symptoms of Grassery observed in the production areas of the Mulberry silkworm in Cuba. Molecular diagnostic methods for BmNPV based on radioactive and non-radioactive hybridization of nucleic acids (HNA), from larvae's polyhedra extractions in the 3rd and 4th instars, were developed. In both hybridization methods, BmNPV presence was detected. Positive results of 5.5% of samples analyzed in the 3rd larval stage were obtained using radioactive hybridization, which agreed with non- radioactive hybridization results. Nevertheless, in the 4th stage, 28.8% of positive samples were detected using radioactive hybridization and 22.2% of total analyzed samples for non-radioactive hybridization. Although radioactive hybridization showed higher sensibility, both methods allowed to confirm that it was possible to detect BmNPV from the 3rd larval stage, which allows to establish the enhancement of preventive treatment and management measures of mulberry litters with the objective of minimizing production loses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]