Nationwide Screening for Bee Viruses and Parasites in Belgian Honey Bees
The health of honey bees is threatened by multiple factors, including viruses and parasites. We screened 557 honey bee (<i>Apis mellifera</i>) colonies from 155 beekeepers distributed all over Belgium to determine the prevalence of seven widespread viruses and two parasites (<i>Var...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2020-08-01
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| Series: | Viruses |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/12/8/890 |
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| author | Severine Matthijs Valérie De Waele Valerie Vandenberge Bénédicte Verhoeven Jacqueline Evers Marleen Brunain Claude Saegerman Paul J. J. De Winter Stefan Roels Dirk C. de Graaf Nick De Regge |
| author_facet | Severine Matthijs Valérie De Waele Valerie Vandenberge Bénédicte Verhoeven Jacqueline Evers Marleen Brunain Claude Saegerman Paul J. J. De Winter Stefan Roels Dirk C. de Graaf Nick De Regge |
| author_sort | Severine Matthijs |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The health of honey bees is threatened by multiple factors, including viruses and parasites. We screened 557 honey bee (<i>Apis mellifera</i>) colonies from 155 beekeepers distributed all over Belgium to determine the prevalence of seven widespread viruses and two parasites (<i>Varroa</i> sp. and <i>Nosema</i> sp.). Deformed wing virus B (DWV-B), black queen cell virus (BQCV), and sacbrood virus (SBV) were highly prevalent and detected by real-time RT-PCR in more than 95% of the colonies. Acute bee paralysis virus (ABPV), chronic bee paralysis virus (CBPV) and deformed wing virus A (DWV-A) were prevalent to a lower extent (between 18 and 29%). Most viruses were only present at low or moderate viral loads. Nevertheless, about 50% of the colonies harbored at least one virus at high viral load (>10<sup>7</sup> genome copies/bee). <i>Varroa</i> mites and <i>Nosema</i> sp. were found in 81.5% and 59.7% of the honey bee colonies, respectively, and all <i>Nosema</i> were identified as <i>Nosema ceranae</i> by real time PCR. Interestingly, we found a significant correlation between the number of <i>Varroa</i> mites and DWV-B viral load. To determine the combined effect of these and other factors on honey bee health in Belgium, a follow up of colonies over multiple years is necessary. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T17:27:22Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-60e20b51bb0e43c5a427117791c776bf |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1999-4915 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T17:27:22Z |
| publishDate | 2020-08-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Viruses |
| spelling | doaj.art-60e20b51bb0e43c5a427117791c776bf2023-11-20T10:07:34ZengMDPI AGViruses1999-49152020-08-0112889010.3390/v12080890Nationwide Screening for Bee Viruses and Parasites in Belgian Honey BeesSeverine Matthijs0Valérie De Waele1Valerie Vandenberge2Bénédicte Verhoeven3Jacqueline Evers4Marleen Brunain5Claude Saegerman6Paul J. J. De Winter7Stefan Roels8Dirk C. de Graaf9Nick De Regge10Belgian National Reference Laboratory for Bee Diseases, Unit of Enzootic, Vector-Borne and Bee Diseases, Sciensano, Juliette Wytsmanstraat 14, 1050 Brussels, BelgiumVeterinary Epidemiology, Sciensano, Juliette Wytsmanstraat 14, 1050 Brussels, BelgiumBelgian National Reference Laboratory for Bee Diseases, Unit of Enzootic, Vector-Borne and Bee Diseases, Sciensano, Juliette Wytsmanstraat 14, 1050 Brussels, BelgiumFederal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain, Kruidtuinlaan 55, 1000 Brussels, BelgiumFederal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain, Kruidtuinlaan 55, 1000 Brussels, BelgiumLaboratory of Molecular Entomology and Bee Pathology, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281 S2, 9000 Ghent, BelgiumResearch Unit of Epidemiology and Risk Analysis Applied to Veterinary Sciences, Fundamental and Applied Research for Animal and Health (FARAH) Center, University of Liège, Quartier Vallée 2, Avenue de Cureghem 7A B42, 4000 Liège, BelgiumFederal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain, Kruidtuinlaan 55, 1000 Brussels, BelgiumBelgian National Reference Laboratory for Bee Diseases, Unit of Enzootic, Vector-Borne and Bee Diseases, Sciensano, Juliette Wytsmanstraat 14, 1050 Brussels, BelgiumLaboratory of Molecular Entomology and Bee Pathology, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281 S2, 9000 Ghent, BelgiumBelgian National Reference Laboratory for Bee Diseases, Unit of Enzootic, Vector-Borne and Bee Diseases, Sciensano, Juliette Wytsmanstraat 14, 1050 Brussels, BelgiumThe health of honey bees is threatened by multiple factors, including viruses and parasites. We screened 557 honey bee (<i>Apis mellifera</i>) colonies from 155 beekeepers distributed all over Belgium to determine the prevalence of seven widespread viruses and two parasites (<i>Varroa</i> sp. and <i>Nosema</i> sp.). Deformed wing virus B (DWV-B), black queen cell virus (BQCV), and sacbrood virus (SBV) were highly prevalent and detected by real-time RT-PCR in more than 95% of the colonies. Acute bee paralysis virus (ABPV), chronic bee paralysis virus (CBPV) and deformed wing virus A (DWV-A) were prevalent to a lower extent (between 18 and 29%). Most viruses were only present at low or moderate viral loads. Nevertheless, about 50% of the colonies harbored at least one virus at high viral load (>10<sup>7</sup> genome copies/bee). <i>Varroa</i> mites and <i>Nosema</i> sp. were found in 81.5% and 59.7% of the honey bee colonies, respectively, and all <i>Nosema</i> were identified as <i>Nosema ceranae</i> by real time PCR. Interestingly, we found a significant correlation between the number of <i>Varroa</i> mites and DWV-B viral load. To determine the combined effect of these and other factors on honey bee health in Belgium, a follow up of colonies over multiple years is necessary.https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/12/8/890honey bee virushoney bee parasitevirus screeningBelgiumVarroaNosema |
| spellingShingle | Severine Matthijs Valérie De Waele Valerie Vandenberge Bénédicte Verhoeven Jacqueline Evers Marleen Brunain Claude Saegerman Paul J. J. De Winter Stefan Roels Dirk C. de Graaf Nick De Regge Nationwide Screening for Bee Viruses and Parasites in Belgian Honey Bees Viruses honey bee virus honey bee parasite virus screening Belgium Varroa Nosema |
| title | Nationwide Screening for Bee Viruses and Parasites in Belgian Honey Bees |
| title_full | Nationwide Screening for Bee Viruses and Parasites in Belgian Honey Bees |
| title_fullStr | Nationwide Screening for Bee Viruses and Parasites in Belgian Honey Bees |
| title_full_unstemmed | Nationwide Screening for Bee Viruses and Parasites in Belgian Honey Bees |
| title_short | Nationwide Screening for Bee Viruses and Parasites in Belgian Honey Bees |
| title_sort | nationwide screening for bee viruses and parasites in belgian honey bees |
| topic | honey bee virus honey bee parasite virus screening Belgium Varroa Nosema |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/12/8/890 |
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