Phylogenetic analysis of Nosema apis and Nosema ceranae small subunit 16S rRNA in honey bees (Apis mellifera) from north-eastern Poland

In order to perform a phylogenetic analysis of Nosema spp. spores, samples of 10 worker bees each were collected from 30 infected colonies (the presence of spores was confirmed by light microscopy) kept in 15 apiaries in north-eastern Poland. Both N. apis and N. ceranae are common in this region (mixed infection N. apis/ N. ceranae – 60%, N. ceranae – 37%, N. apis – 3%). The DNA samples of N. apis were 100% identical with the N. apis sequences deposited in the GenBank database in Queensland, Australia, Spain, New Zealand, Lithuania and Tasmania in Australia. The DNA samples of N. ceranae were found to be 99.5%-100% identical with the N. ceranae sequences previously published in Italy, Germany, Switzerland and Austria.