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Honey Bee Viruses in Wild Bees: Viral Prevalence, Loads, and Experimental Inoculation
PloS One
  • Adam G. Dolezal, Iowa State University
  • Stephan D. Hendrix, University of Iowa
  • Nicole A. Scavo, Iowa State University
  • Jimena Carrillo-Tripp, Iowa State University
  • Mary A. Harris, Iowa State University
  • M. Joseph Wheelock, Iowa State University
  • Matthew E. O'Neal, Iowa State University
  • Amy L. Toth, Iowa State University
Document Type
Article
Publication Version
Published Version
Publication Date
1-1-2016
DOI
10.1371/journal.pone.0166190
Abstract

Evidence of inter-species pathogen transmission from managed to wild bees has sparked concern that emerging diseases could be causing or exacerbating wild bee declines. While some pathogens, like RNA viruses, have been found in pollen and wild bees, the threat these viruses pose to wild bees is largely unknown. Here, we tested 169 bees, representing 4 families and 8 genera, for five common honey bee (Apis mellifera) viruses, finding that more than 80% of wild bees harbored at least one virus. We also quantified virus titers in these bees, providing, for the first time, an assessment of viral load in a broad spectrum of wild bees. Although virus detection was very common, virus levels in the wild bees were minimal—similar to or lower than foraging honey bees and substantially lower than honey bees collected from hives. Furthermore, when we experimentally inoculated adults of two different bee species (Megachile rotundata and Colletes inaequalis) with a mixture of common viruses that is lethal to honey bees, we saw no effect on short term survival. Overall, we found that honey bee RNA viruses can be commonly detected at low levels in many wild bee species, but we found no evidence that these pathogens cause elevated short-term mortality effects. However, more work on these viruses is greatly needed to assess effects on additional bee species and life stages.

Comments

This article is published as Dolezal, Adam G., Stephen D. Hendrix, Nicole A. Scavo, Jimena Carrillo-Tripp, Mary A. Harris, M. Joseph Wheelock, Matthew E. O’Neal, and Amy L. Toth. "Honey bee viruses in wild bees: viral prevalence, loads, and experimental inoculation." PloS one 11, no. 11 (2016): e0166190. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0166190. Posted with permission.

Creative Commons License
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
Copyright Owner
Dolezal et al
Language
en
File Format
application/pdf
Citation Information
Adam G. Dolezal, Stephan D. Hendrix, Nicole A. Scavo, Jimena Carrillo-Tripp, et al.. "Honey Bee Viruses in Wild Bees: Viral Prevalence, Loads, and Experimental Inoculation" PloS One Vol. 11 Iss. 11 (2016) p. e0166190
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/matthew_oneal/181/