Just out, study finds DWV in multiple species and multiple countries:

Abstract:

RNA viruses have risen in prominence as a major threat for honey bees (Apis mellifera) and global apiculture, as well as a risk factor for other bee species through pathogen spill-over between managed honey bees and sympatric wild pollinator communities. 

We screened members of pollinator communities (honey bees, bumble bees and other wild bees belonging to four families) collected from apple orchards in Georgia, Germany and Kyrgyzstan for six common honey bee-associated RNA virus complexes encompassing nine virus targets.

The Deformed wing virus complex (DWV genotypes A and B) had the highest prevalence across all localities and host species and was the only virus complex found in wild bee species belonging to all four studied families.  

This study demonstrates that honey bee associated RNA viruses are geographically and taxonomically widespread, likely infective in wild bee species, and shared across bee taxa.

Fürst showed experimentally that infection with DWV reduces the survival of workers in the buff-tailed bumble bee, Bombus terrestris. Furthermore, wild bumble bees exhibiting deformed wings, similar to those of clinically DWV-infected honey bees, were reported under natural conditions in Germany.

Commercial transport of (asymptomatically) infected honey bee colonies for crop pollination and their subsequent co-occurrence with diverse wild bee species within the same pollinator community facilitates interspecific pathogen spill over

We tested 33 bee species (including A. mellifera) and found DWV-A/DWV-B to have the highest true prevalence across taxa, in line with the findings of a UK-wide survey. Across sites, 28% of honey bees, 15% of bumble bees and 13% of wild bees in our study harbored this virus.

Radzevičiūtė, Rita, et al. "Replication of honey bee-associated RNA viruses across multiple bee species in apple orchards of Georgia, Germany and Kyrgyzstan." Journal of Invertebrate Pathology (2017). 

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