[Pollinator] Fwd: CATCH THE BUZZ - New Demons Found...The Trail Gets Warmer

[Ladadams at aol.com]

____________________________________
 From: Kim at BeeCulture.com
To: LDA at pollinator.org
Sent: 10/6/2010 2:32:53  P.M. Pacific Daylight Time
Subj: CATCH THE BUZZ - New Demons Found...The  Trail Gets Warmer


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CATCH THE BUZZ 

New Demons Found. The CCD Trail  Gets Much Warmer. 
In 2007a team* was formed to search  for the cause of Colony Collapse 
Disorder. Using mass spectrometry-based  proteomics, a technique modified by the 
military for screening samples for  pathogens, they found a fungus and an 
unusual virus associated with samples  from colonies with CCD symptoms. 
An insect iridescent virus (IIV) in  bees from CCD colonies is new to the 
U.S. It shows similarities to an IIV first  reported in India 20 years ago, 
as well as to an IIV  found in moths. The method of its introduction to bees 
in North  America remains a mystery but it probably arrived in infected 
bees, or  it crossed over to bees from another insect.  
All animals, ranging from lowly  bacteria to humans have DNA as their  
genetic material. Viruses, however, have either DNA or RNA as their  genetic 
material. RNA is a chemical variant of DNA.  
The viruses thus far associated  with honey bees in colonies with colony 
collapse disorder symptoms have been  of the RNA type. The insect iridescent  
virus the research team correlated with CCD is a DNA virus, however.  That 
is a fundamental  difference and takes CCD research in a whole new direction. 
This was when the  team brought in RNA virus experts.   
The DNA in these viruses is something to behold. Their size  and shape, and 
the way they are stacked inside the cells they infect  fundamentally alters 
light in such a way that it causes iridescence. Viruses  and infected host 
tissue may have a bluish green or purplish hue. Insect  iridescent viruses 
have also been shown to contain a protein that causes host  cells to self 
destruct in a process called apoptosis, which can be a viral  attack mechanism 
or a host defense strategy. 
Additionally there is a significant  statistical link between CCD, the 
iridescent virus and a fungal parasite of  the genus Nosema. It remains unknown 
if these two pathogens in concert  cause CCD, or, are CCD colonies more 
likely to succumb to these two  pathogens?   
Currently, the team is trying to  isolate the specific strain of iridescent 
virus in U.S. bees so that they can  characterize it alone and in 
combination with Nosema. The work is  ongoing but it may be the most important 
advance in the previous three  years. 
There are more than two dozen known  insect iridescent viruses. As a 
general rule, the impact of these viruses  ranges from covert infections with 
relatively minor effects, to highly  virulent and lethal infections. This 
lethality is one reason that this group  of viruses has been scrutinized as a 
potential biopesticide, for applications  such as mosquito control. This is not 
good news for beekeepers. In  India, an  iridescent virus, called IIV-24, 
has been implicated in high losses of honey  bee colonies. 
It is known that in an Asian honey  bee, Apis cerana, a combination of 
parasites and pathogens co-exist,  including: (1) a Nosema parasite called 
Nosema ceranae, (2) an  iridescent virus, (3) parasitic and predacious mites, and 
(4) two other  RNA-type viruses, Kashmir bee virus and a Sacbrood virus. 
Both Kashmir  bee virus and Nosema ceranae have been in North  America for 
a decade or more. How similar is the CCD strain of  iridescent virus to the 
IIV-24 from A. cerana? Is it possible that US  bees acquired IIV from the 
Asian bee along with Nosema ceranae and  Kashmir bee virus?   
This IIV also seems to be closely  related to an IIV virus called IIV-6 
that occurs in other insect species. So  this may be a variant of this virus 
that managed to transmit to a new host –  bees. 
Knowing exactly what IIV species is  involved will be important so that it 
can be tracked and monitored to develop  a control strategy. There is not a 
means of controlling the virus, although  there are simple ways of 
monitoring Nosema, which can be seen under a  microscope, and some options are 
available to beekeepers for reducing  Nosema levels. 
Once the strain of IIV in CCD  colonies is identified, and assuming that 
the IIV link with CCD can be  confirmed, the potential exists to use IIV 
presence as an indicator of CCD. It  should be very easy to develop a PCR assay  
or even to use simple serological tests like ELISA to rapidly detect IIV.  
Until then, proteomics will be used to screen samples. Proteomics is an  
excellent screening method, but it takes more time and analysis costs are  
higher than for PCR or  ELISA. 
With an inexpensive and rapid  assay, the ability to screen all colonies in 
an area for IIV exists. Until an  effective treatment can be developed, 
eliminating infected colonies may be an  option, as well as screening before 
new colonies are allowed to  enter. 
Standard quarantine practices such  as testing imported bees before they 
are added to colonies, and disinfecting  equipment would likely help. We can 
do a better job if we know the exact  identity of the culprit(s). 
In the short term, the  possibility of developing treatments against the 
IIV seems remote. Some  possible treatments include antiviral drugs or heat 
treatment of hives.  Most IIVs  replicate at about 21 degrees C and do not 
replicate above 30-32 degrees C.  Higher temperature may suppress the virus by 
halting replication, whereas  cool weather and damp conditions  may speed up 
replication of both IIV and Nosema. Many instances of CCD  have occurred 
following extended periods of cool, damp weather, with more  problems with 
bees in areas with frequent fog or in hill areas where the  weather is cooler 
bein g reported. Placing bees in warm, sunny locations  appears to help. 
Finally, in a bee collapse that  occurred in the northeastern part of the 
U.S. some years ago, an IIV was seen in  varroa mites that prey on bees. 
Varroa may act as a vector for the dispersal  of the virus among bee colonies, 
just as mosquitoes transmit West Nile virus or malaria to humans. Varroa is 
known to  increase damage caused by other viruses, and beekeepers who fail to 
control  varroa levels are likely to sustain high colony losses. 
In all cases, management practices  that reduce Nosema and mite loads and 
try to reduce long term exposures  to cool, damp environmental conditions are 
likely to reduce colony  susceptibility to IIV. 
The entire paper is published in  the online Journal Plos One. Find it at 
_http://www.plosone.org/home.action_ (http://www.plosone.org/home.action)  
*The  team includes bee specialists at The University of Montana in 
Missoula, fungal  pathologists at Montana State University, and a group of 
virologists and  chemists at the US Army Edgewood Chemical Biological Center (ECBC). 
Later,  after they received the initial results, they added specialists in 
insect  viruses from Texas Tech University and the Instituto de Ecologia AC 
in Mexico.  Team members include Dr. Jerry  Bromenshenk, Univ. Mt, Colin  
Henderson, Univ. Mt., Charles  H. Wick, U. S. Army, Robert  A. Cramer, Univ. 
MT., Shan Bilimoria, Texas Tech, and Trevor  Williams, Instituto de Ecologia 
AC in Mexico  and several others listed on the research paper.  
 
____________________________________
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