Editing Nosema apis (section)

==Diagnosis==
Diagnosis is dependent on microscopic examination of the ventricular (midgut) content and/or [[feces|fecal matter]] or on [[Polymerase chain reaction|PCR]] analysis of infected tissue. No specific outward sign of disease may be present, although in [[dissection]]s, the ventriculus often appears whitish and swollen in late stages of infection. The disease is easily detected in samples of whole bees macerated in water. The fluid is examined under a light microscope at 250–500 x magnification where the characteristic ''Nosema'' spores can be observed.{{citation needed|date=March 2019}} Though the spores of ''N. apis'' and ''N. ceranae'' have slight morphological and ultrastructural differences, they cannot be reliably differentiated via light microscopy. PCR analysis or [[electron microscopy]] of spores are the only reliable ways to differentiate between the two types of ''Nosema'' infection, given genetic variation and variation in the number of sporular [[polar filament]] coils between the two species.