Global honey bee viral landscape altered by a parasitic mite.
Summary of "Global honey bee viral landscape altered by a parasitic mite."
Emerging diseases are among the greatest threats to honey bees. Unfortunately, where and when an emerging disease will appear are almost impossible to predict. The arrival of the parasitic Varroa mite into the Hawaiian honey bee population allowed us to investigate changes in the prevalence, load, and strain diversity of honey bee viruses. The mite increased the prevalence of a single viral species, deformed wing virus (DWV), from ~10 to 100% within honey bee populations, which was accompanied by a millionfold increase in viral titer and a massive reduction in DWV diversity, leading to the predominance of a single DWV strain. Therefore, the global spread of Varroa has selected DWV variants that have emerged to allow it to become one of the most widely distributed and contagious insect viruses on the planet.
Affiliation
Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK. s.j.martin@sheffield.ac.uk
Journal Details
This article was published in the following journal.
Name: Science (New York, N.Y.)
ISSN: 1095-9203
Pages: 1304-6
Links
- PubMed Source: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22679096
- DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.1220941
Medical and Biotech [MESH] Definitions
Mites
Any arthropod of the subclass ACARI except the TICKS. They are minute animals related to the spiders, usually having transparent or semitransparent bodies. They may be parasitic on humans and domestic animals, producing various irritations of the skin (MITE INFESTATIONS). Many mite species are important to human and veterinary medicine as both parasite and vector. Mites also infest plants.
Honey
A sweet viscous liquid food, produced in the honey sacs of various bees from nectar collected from flowers. The nectar is ripened into honey by inversion of its sucrose sugar into fructose and glucose. It is somewhat acidic and has mild antiseptic properties, being sometimes used in the treatment of burns and lacerations.
Apitherapy
The medical use of honey bee products such as BEE VENOM; HONEY; bee pollen; PROPOLIS; and royal jelly.
Global Warming
Increase in the temperature of the atmosphere near the Earth's surface and in the troposphere, which can contribute to changes in global climate patterns.
Dermatophagoides Pteronyssinus
Species of European house dust mite, in the family PYROGLYPHIDAE. It is the most commonly found house dust mite.
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