Virus Discovery Important, Preliminary Finding

The discovery of a virus – apparently associated with Colony Collapse Disorder and apparently imported from Australia – points to the need for additional honey bee research and, therefore, increased funding for this research.

The discovery of the Israeli Acute Paralysis Virus (IAPV) in CCD-affected colonies and in healthy colonies (packages) imported from Australia was published in a report released on Sept. 6 in Science Express, an online publication of the journal Science.

The researchers caution that they have not shown that IAPV is a direct cause of CCD. They say the next phase of research needs to test whether or not IAPV is a direct causal agent of CCD or just a really good marker for CCD, i.e., an organism always found in CCD-affected colonies. They say do believe that detection of IAPV will be important in determining the probability that colonies are apt to undergo CCD and that this will enable closer monitoring of bee health.

The researchers do not feel that IAPV can be acting alone to cause CCD, but rather that the virus requires additional triggers. Other pathogens (such as Kashmir Bee Virus, Nosema apis and Nosema ceranae) may be important in triggering CCD, but by themselves are not the cause of CCD. Also environmental chemicals (pesticides, herbicides, fungicides) and/or nutritional stress may also act as triggers. Of course, the varroa mite may also help to stress colonies and allow for onset of CCD; however, the research clearly demonstrates that varroa, tracheal mites, and nosema do not underlie CCD by themselves.

“This is an important finding,” said ABF Vice President Zac Browning, “but it is very preliminary. In many ways, it only points to additional research needs.

“We have been trying for months now to secure adequate funding for CCD research, but we have yet to succeed. So far, the research has been funded by the beekeeping industry itself, mainly the National Honey Board, and the research institutions themselves.

“We are still expecting Congress to provide some new funding either through Agriculture Appropriations or through the Farm Bill or both. In the meanwhile, we are hoping the Secretary of Agriculture will release some emergency funding.”

For more on the discovery of IAPV and what it could mean to your beekeeping operation, see the links below: the full Science article; Supporting Material for the Science article, and the Researchers’ Statement to Beekeepers.