New research into virus transmissions between honey bees
April 7, 2016
Editor’s Note: The complete article, “Potential for virus transfer between the honey bees Apis mellifera and A. cerana” by Orlando Yañez, Huo-Qing Zheng, Xiao-Ling Su, Fu-Liang Huc, Peter Neumann & Vincent Dietemann is available here.
From: AgProfessional
By Journal of Apicultural Research
Interspecific transfers of viruses between the western honey bee (Apis mellifera) and the eastern honey bee (Apis cerana) are rare, even if honey bees are kept in close proximity, new research reveals.
Elevated global losses of managed western honey bee colonies have worried beekeepers, scientists, and the general public in recent years. Viruses play a key role in western honey bee health but few studies have investigated virus transfer between bee species. In contrast to some parts of Asia, where many bee species live concomitantly, the western honey bee had been isolated for millions of years and adapted to a range of endemic pathogens and parasites. The introduction of the western bee into Asia, enabling beekeepers to benefit from its high honey yields, exposed Asian bee species to the risk of obtaining new viruses or viral strains and vice versa.
Leave a Comment