Baharak Mohammadian - Department of Animal Science Research, Kurdistan Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center, (AREEO), Sanandaj, Iran
Saied Bokaie - Department of Food Hygiene and Quality Control, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
Mojtaba Moharrami - Department of Honeybee, Silk Worm and wildlife Diseases, Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Karaj, Iran
Sedighe Nabian - Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
Mohammad Forsi - Directorate of Health and Control of Bird, Honeybee and Silk Worm, Veterinary Organization, Tehran, Iran

‎Nosemosis is one of the most prevalent bee diseases in the world causing significant ‎economic losses in the global bee-keeping industry. This cross-sectional study was conducted during April-September, ۲۰۱۶ to investigate the prevalence of nosemosis in different climatic regions of Iran. A total of ۱۸۳ ‎apiaries were selected based on cluster sampling and the climate of apiaries under study was classified using Domarten method. In each apiary, five percent of the colonies were ‎ randomly sampled. A total of ۱۸۳ adult bee samples were taken and examined by microscopic and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methods for the presence of Nosema infections. According to the results, infection caused by Nosema ceranae was observed in all regions under study. The prevalence of N. ceranae was ۴۶.۴۰% (۴۲.۷۰–۵۰.۱۰). However, infection with Nosema apis was not observed in the samples in either pure form or as ‎associated infection. Based on the results of PCR, the prevalenceof N. ceranae was ‎۵۳.۸۰% (۴۶.۶۰– ۶۱.۰۰) ‎ in ‎humid, ‎۷۱.۰۰% (۵۳.۷۰–۷۷.۵۰) ‎ in semi-humid‎, ‎۶۸.۱۰% (۶۱.۴۰–۷۴.۸۰) ‎ in very humid, ‎۲۹.۴۰% (۲۲.۷۰–۳۶.۱۰) in arid, ‎۳۴.۳۰% (۲۷.۴۰–۴۱.۲۰) in semi-‎arid and ‎۲۴.۰۰% (۱۷.۹۰–۳۰.۰۰)‎ in Mediterranean climates. The prevalence of ‎infection in different climatic zones of the country was found to have significant ‎differences (p < ۰.۰۰۱). ‎ According to the findings, N. ceranae ‎ was the only Nosema species in honeybees with a broad geographical dispersion in Iran. It seems that climate can influence the prevalence of mentioned parasite. ‎

Climate, Honeybee, Iran, Nosemosis, Prevalence