New findings about the deformed wing virus, a major factor in honey bee colony mortality
November 11, 2016
Editor’s Note: See, “Construction and Rescue of a Molecular Clone of Deformed Wing Virus (DWV),” by Benjamin Lamp, Angelika Url, Kerstin Seitz, Jürgen Eichhorn, Christiane Riedel, Leonie Janina Sinn, Stanislav Indik, Hemma Köglberger, Till Rümenapf.
From: Phys.org
In recent years, massive losses of honey bee colonies have occurred during winter in Europe and North America. It could be shown that the Varroa mite and the deformed wing virus are the main factors responsible for the alarming bee mortality. Researchers from the University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna have succeeded for the first time in simulating the course of disease using artificial genetic material of the virus. The symptoms of the so-called mite disease were reproduced in the laboratory without mites by the injection of synthetic RNA. This enabled the prudent development of new strategies in order to protect the bee population in the future. The results were published in the journal PLOS ONE.
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The main trigger of this bee mortality does not seem to be the use of pesticides in modern agriculture. Many studies have shown that the survival of bee colonies strongly depends on the infestation with Varroa mites, widespread blood-sucking parasites, and the transmission of deformed wing virus by these mites. A research group from the Institute of Virology at the University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna has developed a new laboratory system, which enabled them to make an important step forward in the investigation of the virus. By using a molecular clone, they have simulated the course of disease in a targeted way under laboratory conditions.
Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2016-11-deformed-wing-virus-major-factor.html#jCp
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