Disease Forms - Honey Bee viruses

Question 1

Outline the three main honey bee viral diseases.

Answer 1

Sacbrood - affecting worker larvae.
Chronic bee paralysis - incapable of flight.
Deformed Wing virus - misshapen wings.

Question 2

What is Sacbrood disease?

Answer 2

• Detected in WA in 1979.
• Transmission - food fed to brood larvae.
• Infected larvae die before pupation; also affects adults.
• The virus replicates inside larvae cells - curls head upwards - dies.
• Forming discoloured patterns in the hive - after death.
• The viruses surrounding dead larvae are spread by humans clean it out.

Question 3

What is Chronic Bee Paralysis (Hairless Black Syndrome)?

Answer 3

• Symptoms limited to adults.
• Abnormal trembling of wings/body.
• Incapable of flight - crawling.
• Shiny/greasy appearence - lack of hair.
• Adults die within a few days.
• Transmitted through direct contact.

Question 4

What is the Deformed Wing virus?

Answer 4

• Global; except Australia.
• Parasitic Varroa mites spread the virus.
• Bee Pupae susceptible to infection; multiplying slowly - long incubation period into adulthood.
• Emerged adult has misshapen wings.

Question 5

How are these diseases impacting humans?

Answer 5

This reduces the rate of pollination in the areas where the bees had previously resided, including the pollination of crops.
So far there are no vaccines for these diseases.