New virus linked to bee colony collapse disorder

[unhappycamper]

http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-virus-bee-colony-collapse-20140120,0,3775756.story



A new virus has leaped from plants to honeybees and could be contributing to the collapse of commercial hives, a study says.

New virus linked to bee colony collapse disorder
By Geoffrey Mohan
January 21, 2014, 5:00 a.m.

A rapidly mutating virus has leaped from plants to honeybees, where it is reproducing and contributing to the collapse of colonies vital to the multibillion-dollar agricultural industry, according to a new study.

Tobacco ringspot virus, a pollen-borne pathogen that causes blight in soy crops, was found during routine screening of commercial honeybees at a U.S. Department of Agriculture laboratory, where further study revealed the RNA virus was replicating inside its Apis mellifera hosts and spreading to mites that travel from bee to bee, according to the study published online Tuesday in the journal mBio.

The discovery is the first report of honeybees becoming infected by a pollen-born RNA virus that spread systematically through the bees and hives. Traces of the virus were detected in every part of the bee examined, except its eyes, according to the study.

Commercially cultivated bees pollinate about 90 crops worldwide, a service valued at $14 billion annually. But those colonies have been collapsing, and scientists have attributed that devastation to a deadly cocktail of pathogens, as well as pesticides and beekeeping practices that stress the insect’s immune system.

[Baitball Blogger]

1. Erm...does that mean that we need to use a pesticide to save the bees?

I'm so confused!

[Brainstormy]

2. Pesticides Still the Main Suspect

which may also make colonies more susceptible to parasites and viruses.


http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/press-releases/colony-collapse-disorder-pesticide/

http://beekeepinginnigeria.info/thread/104/pesticides-linked-bee-colony-collapse#.Ut6IBNEo74g

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/jan/20/pesticides-making-bees-smaller

[LiberalEsto]

3. "New virus" magically saves MonSatan & Bayer's asses

How conveeeeeenient!

[AtheistCrusader]

8. I hope that is sarcasm but,

anyone paying even causal attention should fully understand there are multiple overlapping causes for CCD, and CCD occurs when the various pressures on the hive, like malnutrition, pesticides, fungus, virus or other vectors, singly or on combination overwhelm the hive, and it fails.

[LiberalEsto]

13. It was sarcasm, but I wondered about any links between this tobacco virus

and the neo-nicotinoid pesticides that are suspected of being involved in CCD. I wonder if use of these neo-nicotinoids made bees especially vulnerable to this virus.

[AtheistCrusader]

14. We certainly could be creating the conditions under which that virus evolved.

So that would make us partially or completely responsible, in that case.

[progressoid]

4. Sooo...it's not cell phones then?

[Renew Deal]

5. So it's not Monsanto's fault?

[Veilex]

6. Monsanto (and its ilk) are still primary suspects...

Their pesticides make bees more susceptible to being infected with viruses. Chances are, this new virus was something that bees are naturally resistant to... but if their resistance is lowered through artificial means (pesticides), then they can be infected by a whole host of things they had no fear of before.

[Renew Deal]

7. Is there anything backing up your claim that pesticides

"make bees more susceptible to being infected with viruses"?

[DreamGypsy]

12. For example: Neonicotinoid clothianidin adversely affects insect immunity and ...

...promotes replication of a viral pathogen in honey bees.

From the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences -http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2013/10/18/1314923110

The significance:

Honey bees are exposed to a wealth of synergistically interacting stress factors, which may induce colony losses often associated with high infection levels of pathogens. Neonicotinoid insecticides have been reported to enhance the impact of pathogens, but the underlying immune alteration is still obscure. In this study we describe the molecular mechanism through which clothianidin adversely affects the insect immune response and promotes replication of a viral pathogen in honey bees bearing covert infections. Our results shed light on a further level of regulation of the immune response in insects and have implications for bee conservation.

Abstract and pdf of the full paper are available at the link.

[Veilex]

16. Sure! Just look at...

DreamGypsy's post.

Thanks DreamGypsy

[AtheistCrusader]

9. 'It' isn't a single problem.

CCD is a result. It can be brought about by many, many causes, Neonicotinoid pesticides being just one of many issues.

[joanbarnes]

10. Lots of 'new' discoveries to keep the chemical companies off the hook (and justify more).

[Agnosticsherbet]

11. Good detective work by scientists.

Is this virus the cause, or a contributing factor? Perhaps the virus is just part of that deadly cocktail. Given time, natural selection and evolution may be the answer, but it could be a hungry future while we wait.

[arachadillo]

15. CCD

Last edited Sun Nov 17, 2019, 06:12 PM - Edit history (2)

The following quote from the story suggests that the causation chain for colony collapse disorder remains a bit unclear.

The virus’ relative role in the demise of colonies has not been measured -- it would be difficult to separate it from a cocktail of pathogens and stresses negatively affecting bees, Chen said.

“I want to be cautious,” Chen said. “The cause of colony collapse disorder remains unclear. But we do have evidence that TRSV along with other viruses that we screen on a regular basis are associated with lower rates of over-winter survival.”

Indeed, the new virus, along with the well documented Israeli Acute Paralysis Virus, was correlated with colonies deemed “weak” due to a variety of stresses. It also showed a similar seasonal fluctuation -- infection rates rose to a 22.5% high in winter, according to the study.

That colonies suffer greater losses in winter might suggest that the work they do during the pollination season, coming into contact with pollen born virus or the other virus they catch, and pesticides, might not kill them right off. It may just stress them out to the point of their being unable to maintain the colony once the seasonal work ends.

It still appears to be a multifactor problem

CCD = A + B + C + sundry factors

colony collapse disorder as a function of the colony members coming into contact with A (pesticides) B (poor nutrition, the fast food provided for them by big business bee keepers) C (virus of one type or another) plus more specific environmental factors.

Green Nature