> I cannot see that bees could have such a mechanism as their lives are
> too short. So what mechanism do you imagine they could be bred for that
> would allow them to resist viruses?
>
There was a recent study on queens and how they passed on "resistance"
based on what they were confronted with. The synopsis-
- Queen bee is fed 'royal jelly' made from pollen collected by worker
bees
- This jelly sometimes contains pathogens and bacteria from environment
- The queen digests the bacteria and stores it in an organ similar to a
liver
- Pieces of bacteria are bound to a protein and delivered to eggs via
blood
- When the bees hatch they are vaccinated against the pathogens present
in the environment
Bill Truesdell
Bath, Maine
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