Here, we report the presence of two honey bee viruses in Varroa mite samples from Iran. This is also the first report of the presence of BQCV in Iranian honey bee colonies and the first to demonstrate that BQCV replicates in V. destructor mites.

DWV and BQCV replication in V. destructor
Samples positive to DWV and BQCV were tested for specific negative RNA strand by tagged RT-PCR as per Yue and Genersch (2005) and Peng et al. (2011). The minus-strand RNA is present only when the virus is replicating (Gisder, Aumeier, & Genersch, 2009), thus, the detection of this strand, using minus-strand-specific RT-PCR, indicates viral replication. 

We found that both DWV and BQCV were replicat- ing in the mites. Although unlikely, the possibility of V. destructor ingesting replicating viral particles from the honey bees’ fat body, which is the primary tissue ingested by the mite (Ramsey et al., 2019), cannot be discarded. Thus, the presence and repli- cation of these viruses in V. destructor could be nega- tively impacting the health and survival of honey bee colonies.

Sabahi, Q., Morfin, N., Nehzati-Paghaleh, G., & Guzman-Novoa, E. (2020). Detection and replication of deformed wing virus and black queen cell virus in parasitic mites, Varroa destructor, from Iranian honey bee (Apis mellifera) colonies. Journal of Apicultural Research, 59(2), 211-217.

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