[Pollinator] Genetic survey finds association between CCD, virus

[Ladadams at aol.com]

Genetic survey finds association between CCD, virus

Healthy bees on a honeycomb. (ARS photo by Stephen Ausmus.)

A team led by scientists from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's 
Agricultural Research Service, Pennsylvania State University and Columbia University has 
found an association between colony collapse disorder in honey bees and a 
honey bee virus called Israeli acute paralysis virus, according to a paper 
published in the journal Science recently.
 ARS entomologist Jeffery S. Pettis, research leader of the agency's Bee 
Research Laboratory in Beltsville, Md.; Diana L. Cox-Foster, a professor in the 
PSU Department of Entomology; and W. Ian Lipkin, director of the Center for 
Infection and Immunity at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, 
led the team that did genetic screening of honey bees collected from 30 
colonies with CCD and 21 colonies with no CCD from four locations in the United 
States.
 The genetic screening allowed the researchers to identify pathogens to which 
the sampled honey bees had been exposed. In total, the honey bees--both CCD 
and non-CCD honey bees--were found to harbor six symbiotic types of bacteria 
and eight bacterial groups, 81 fungi from four lineages, and seven viruses.
 The search for potential pathogens was done using a new means of sequencing 
the genetic material from the healthy and unhealthy bees. This technology, 
termed high-throughput sequencing, allows for an unbiased look at DNA from all 
the organisms, bacteria, fungi and viruses present in the bees. Then the DNA 
sequences are searched against known genomic libraries for best matches. This 
gives a very precise picture of the organisms present, at least to the family or 
genus level. Often specific species can be identified, and unknown 
organisms--if present--can also be catalogued for further study. The sequencing work was 
led by Michael Egholm, vice president of 454 Life Sciences Corp. of Branford, 
Conn., followed by a large group effort to further identify specific groups of 
microorganisms.
 The only pathogen found in almost all samples from honey bee colonies with 
CCD, but not in non-CCD colonies, was the Israeli acute paralysis virus, a 
dicistrovirus that can be transmitted by the varroa mite. It was found in 96.1 
percent of the CCD-bee samples.
 This is the first report of IAPV in the United States. IAPV was initially 
identified in honey bee colonies in Israel in 2002, where the honey bees 
exhibited unusual behavior, such as twitching wings outside the hive and a loss of 
worker bee populations. IAPV has not yet been formally accepted as a separate 
species; it is a close relative of Kashmir bee virus, which has been previously 
found in the United States.
 "This does not identify IAPV as the cause of CCD," said Pettis. "What we 
have found is strictly a strong correlation of the appearance of IAPV and CCD 
together. We have not proven a cause-and-effect connection."
 Even if IAPV proves to be a cause of CCD, there may also be other contri
buting factors---which researchers are pursuing--that stress the bee colony and 
allow the virus to replicate.
 The next step is exposing healthy hives to IAPV and seeing if CCD develops.
 CCD became a matter of concern in the winter of 2006-2007 when some 
beekeepers began reporting losses of 30 to 90 percent of their hives. While colony 
losses are not unexpected during winter weather, the magnitude of loss suffered 
by some beekeepers was highly unusual.
 The main symptom is finding no or a low number of adult honey bees present 
with no dead honey bees in the hive. Often there is still honey in the hive and 
immature bees (brood) are present.
 Pollination is a critical element in agriculture, as honey bees pollinate 
more than 130 crops in the United States and add $15 billion in crop value 
annually. There were enough honey bees to provide pollination for U.S. agriculture 
this year, but beekeepers could face a serious problem next year and beyond if 
CCD becomes more widespread and no treatment is developed.
 More information about CCD can be found at www.ars.usda.gov/is/br/ccd/













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If you need immediate help, please contact Sarah at CoE via telephone. Thank 
you.

Laurie Davies Adams
Executive Director
Coeovlution Institute
425 Washington Street, 5th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94111
415 362 1137 (p)
415 362 3070 (f)
LDA at coevolution.org
www.coevolution.org
www.nappc.org
www.pollinator.org


Join the Pollinator Partnership working to protect agriculture and ecosystems 
- visit www.pollinator.org
.
 ARS is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's chief scientific research 
agency.
 10/29/07
None\8-A
 Date: 10/19/07
 




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