EPIZOOTIOLOGICAL MONITORING OF INFECTIOUS AND INVASIVE DISEASES OF HONEY BEES (APIS MELLIFERA) IN THE WEST KAZAKHSTAN REGION

Honey bees (Apis mellifera) play a crucial role in maintaining agricultural productivity and ecosystem sustainability through pollination. However, the increasing prevalence of infectious and invasive diseases represents a major threat to colony health and the development of apiculture. This study aimed to assess the epizootiological situation of honey bee diseases in the West Kazakhstan Region and determine the prevalence of the most significant infectious and parasitic diseases affecting commercial apiaries. Experimental and field investigations were conducted between 2022 and 2025 at Zhangir Khan West Kazakhstan Agrarian and Technical University, the Republican Veterinary Laboratory, and commercial apiaries. A total of 254 honey bee colonies from 16 apiaries were examined using epizootiological surveys, clinical inspections, pathological examinations, microscopy, and laboratory diagnostic methods. Brood condition, adult bees, queens, drones, and mite infestations were systematically evaluated, while bacterial diseases were diagnosed through clinical assessment and microscopic examination of pathological material and pure bacterial cultures. The results demonstrated that invasive diseases predominated over infectious diseases. Varroosis was the most prevalent disease, affecting 47.6% of the examined colonies, followed by nosemosis (29.5%), ascospherosis (11.4%), acarapidosis (6.3%), and American foulbrood (2.8%). The highest prevalence of varroosis and nosemosis was recorded in the Baiterek and Terekti districts, indicating regional differences in disease distribution and suggesting insufficient implementation of preventive measures. Comparative analysis revealed that invasive diseases accounted for approximately 83.4% of all detected pathological conditions, whereas infectious diseases represented only 14.1%. These findings confirm that parasitic infestations remain the principal epizootiological challenge for beekeeping in the region. The study highlights the necessity of strengthening veterinary-sanitary measures, implementing routine epizootiological surveillance, improving laboratory diagnostics, and introducing effective integrated disease management strategies. Regular monitoring of colony health combined with timely preventive treatments and beekeeper education will contribute to reducing disease prevalence, improving colony productivity, and ensuring the long-term sustainability of apiculture in Kazakhstan. The obtained results provide a scientific basis for developing regional surveillance programs and evidence-based disease prevention policies for the beekeeping industry.