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Community => Recreation Commons => Our researchers have made a breakthrough! => Topic started by: Buster's Uncle on February 01, 2017, 02:40:05 pm

Title: Beleaguered bees hit by 'deformed wing virus'
Post by: Buster's Uncle on February 01, 2017, 02:40:05 pm

Beleaguered bees hit by 'deformed wing virus'
AFP
Marlowe HOOD  January 31, 2017


(https://www.yahoo.com/sy/ny/api/res/1.2/_Y09XsFYkAmpxCJNL4wYYw--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjtzbT0xO3c9ODAwO2lsPXBsYW5l/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/afp.com/78ca7acdb0055b5a0c920ea9e5a7c3991c5e5787.jpg)
Bees around the world -- especially in Europe and North America -- have been decimated in recent years by a mysterious blight called "colony collapse disorder", in which entire populations disappear or die out (AFP Photo/Arne Dedert)



Paris (AFP) - A wing-deforming virus shortens the lifespan of wild honeybees already contending with a startlingly long list of existential threats, researchers said Wednesday.

Spread by microscopic mites, the microbe disrupts bees' foraging and curtails their lives, experiments confirmed for the first time.

"Deformed wing virus strongly reduced the chances for workers to survive to foraging age," scientists reported in the Royal Society journal Proceedings B.

It also "reduced the life expectancy and total activity span" of infected bees, they found.

Bees around the world -- especially in Europe and North America -- have been decimated in recent years by a mysterious blight called "colony collapse disorder", in which entire populations disappear or die out.

Research has pointed an accusing finger at agricultural pesticides, viruses, fungi, parasites, malnutrition because of fewer flowers -- or some combination of the above.

More than just the survival of the bees is at stake.

Scientists recently calculated that 1.4 billion jobs, and three-quarters of crops, depend on pollinators, mainly bees.

All told, there are some 20,000 bee species that fertilise more than 90 percent of the world's 107 major crops.

At the same time, the United Nations estimates that 40 percent of invertebrate pollinators -- mostly bees and butterflies -- are at risk of extinction.


- Mini tracking devices -

Deformed wing virus has previously been recognised as a threat to bees' well-being, compromising their ability to remember where they have been.

The pathogen is found in most parts of the world; in certain areas up to three-quarters of hives are affected.

It was previously also suspected of affecting flight patterns and lifespan, but evidence was lacking. The new study removes any doubt on this score.

Scientists led by Kristof Benaets from the Laboratory of Socioecology and Social Evolution in Leuven, Belgium, set up an experiment using radiofrequency identification (RFID).

Tiny emitters placed on the bodies of both healthy and virus-infected bees allowed the researchers to follow, and compare, their movements.

"Tracking out-of-hive activity is key in studying the impact of pathogens on honeybee health," the team said.

The virus did not reduce the number or duration of pollen-gathering sorties by worker bees.

But it did cause the insects to begin foraging too young, the experiment revealed.

They were less adept at the task, and died earlier than non-infected bees.

Deformed wing virus "had a strongly negative overall effect," the study concluded.


https://www.yahoo.com/news/beleaguered-bees-hit-deformed-wing-virus-004645414.html (https://www.yahoo.com/news/beleaguered-bees-hit-deformed-wing-virus-004645414.html)

Title: Re: Beleaguered bees hit by 'deformed wing virus'
Post by: Unorthodox on February 01, 2017, 06:07:58 pm

Ok, THIS is something I want to know more about.  If someone could resurrect MZO, you'd see back when the whole colony collapse thing FIRST happened, I was noting deformed wings in social wasps.  Didn't know the cause at the time and had more or less given up on anyone studying.  I'm now curious if it's the same thing. 

Title: Re: Beleaguered bees hit by 'deformed wing virus'
Post by: Unorthodox on February 01, 2017, 07:06:41 pm

Well, that's a google trail for another day. 

There's 5 identified strains of DWV, all slightly different, all related to Moku virus, which has some wasp hosts, and it seems the combination of Moku with certain DWV strains are what cause the problems. 

Yes, they are cross-contagious throughout the Apis (honeybee) and Vespus (yellowjacket) populations. 

Specifics are interesting and most of it is still very much under study.  Just nice to see an old theory of mine turning up, and SHOCKED someone is doing research on vespus species. 

Title: Re: Beleaguered bees hit by 'deformed wing virus'
Post by: Unorthodox on February 01, 2017, 07:15:40 pm

Early study of rates (hb are honey bee tests, V varroa, W wasp):

Varroa mite theoretically transmits the viruses between hosts, though they don't fully know the shedding pattern of Moku or DWV yet.  It's the ones with both Moku and DWV that are dying. 

(http://www.nature.com/article-assets/npg/srep/2016/161007/srep34983/images_hires/w926/srep34983-f3.jpg)