Shift in virus composition in honeybees ( Apis mellifera ) following worldwide invasion by the parasitic mite and virus vector Varroa destructor

Invasive vectors can induce dramatic changes in disease epidemiology. While viral emergence following geographical range expansion of a vector is well known, the influence a vector can have at the level of the host's pathobiome is less well understood. Taking advantage of the formerly heterogen...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Royal Society open science 2024, Vol.11 (1), p.231529-14
Main Authors: Doublet, Vincent, Oddie, Melissa A Y, Mondet, Fanny, Forsgren, Eva, Dahle, Bjørn, Furuseth-Hansen, Elisabeth, Williams, Geoffrey R, De Smet, Lina, Natsopoulou, Myrsini E, Murray, Tomás E, Semberg, Emilia, Yañez, Orlando, de Graaf, Dirk C, Le Conte, Yves, Neumann, Peter, Rimstad, Espen, Paxton, Robert J, de Miranda, Joachim R
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Apis mellifera
Beekeeping
Bees
black queen cell virus
deformed wing virus
Disease
Ecology
Ecology, Conservation and Global Change Biology
Ekologi
emerging disease
Epidemiology
honeybee
Mites
Pandemics
Pathogens
Quarantine
Range extension
Spatial distribution
Varroa destructor
varroa mite
Vectors
Vectors (Biology)
virome
Virulence
Viruses
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Summary:Invasive vectors can induce dramatic changes in disease epidemiology. While viral emergence following geographical range expansion of a vector is well known, the influence a vector can have at the level of the host's pathobiome is less well understood. Taking advantage of the formerly heterogeneous spatial distribution of the ectoparasitic mite that acts as potent virus vector among honeybees , we investigated the impact of its recent global spread on the viral community of honeybees in a retrospective study of historical samples. We hypothesized that the vector has had an effect on the epidemiology of several bee viruses, potentially altering their transmissibility and/or virulence, and consequently their prevalence, abundance, or both. To test this, we quantified the prevalence and loads of 14 viruses from honeybee samples collected in mite-free and mite-infested populations in four independent geographical regions. The presence of the mite dramatically increased the prevalence and load of deformed wing virus, a cause of unsustainably high colony losses. In addition, several other viruses became more prevalent or were found at higher load in mite-infested areas, including viruses not known to be actively varroa-transmitted, but which may increase opportunistically in varroa-parasitized bees.
ISSN:2054-5703
2054-5703
DOI:10.1098/rsos.231529