Search

This research describes the detection of six honeybee viruses in samples of clinically affected Carniolan gray bee collected between 2007 and 2009 on the territory of Slovenia. Using one-step reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR), 60 bee sam- ples originated from 45 apiaries were screened forthe presence of six honeybee viruses. Samples were found positive for acute bee paralysis virus (ABPV = 40%), black queen cell virus (BQCV = 83,3%), chronic bee paralysis virus (CBPV = 18,3%), deformed wing virus (DWV = 70%), Kashmir bee virus (KBV = 1,7%) and sacbrood bee virus (SBV = 8,3%). Mortality and paralysis were often evident in the apiaries and could be connected with ABPV and/or CBPV infections. Both viruses were detected in clinically af- fected apiaries with high bee mortality and with paralysis symptoms showing flightless bees, trembling and crawling at the hive entrance. The severity of clinical manifestation with high bee losses were associated with higher number of viruses detected in the samples. Among virus positive samples, 27% of them were infected with one virus, 30% with two viruses, 25% with three viruses and 15% of samples contained four viruses simultaneously. The results of this study provide data about the detection of several bee viruses in affected bee colonies and viral infections in Carniolan bee have to be investigated byfurther research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Noroviruses are a leading cause of viral gastroenteritis in humans and are responsible for many outbreaks worldwide. Mussels are one of the most important foodstuffs connected with norovirus outbreaks, also resulting in multinational dimensions. Two hundred and thirty-eight (238) samples of mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) were collected in periods between the years 2006-2008 and 2010-2012 to study the prevalence of noroviruses (NoVs) from harvesting areas along the Adriatic coast of Slovenia. Between 2006 and 2008, 9.1% to 24.6% of mussel samples tested by specific GI and/or GII real-time RT-PCR methods were found to be positive for NoVs while between 2010 and 2012 the percentage of NoV positive samples varied from 12.5% to 22.2%. At the nucleotide level within the RdRp gene fragment the genetic diversity of NoVs detected in mussels ranged between 78.8-81.0% nucleotide identity among GII strains (92.1-99.6% within the GII.P4 genotype), 100% nucleotide identity among GI and 58.4-60.2% among GI and GII strains. Nine of the NoV strains detected from mussels were genotyped as GII.4, while two samples were within GI.P2 and one was a positive sample within genotype GII.P21. This study confirmed that mussels are a potential source of the NoV infection. The detected NoVs share the same topology on the phylogenetic tree within the NoV strains detected in water samples and human patients, not only from Slovenia but also from many different countries worldwide. We can assume that mussels in harvesting areas are not only contaminated from the surrounding area but also by contaminated water and sewage from large transport ships, which are regularly present in the area.