Adding a little more to Dave Green's description of Parasitic Mite
Syndrome (PMS): the term not only refers to the mite infestation itself
(as Dave described), but more specifically refers to the symptoms of a
heavy mite infestation which can, as Dave stated, appear similar to
American Foulbrood.  A good description regarding PMS can be found in
BEE-L LOG9602 (reposted recently, hence also in BEE-L LOG9606) in the
summary of a talk given by Dr. Cynthia Scott-Dupree to the Worcester
County Beekeepers Association.   Her talk referenced varroa mites as a
vector in spreading bee viruses.  Quoting from that post one final time:
 
  "The focus of current research is on how the mites may act as
  vectors in spreading the approximately twenty identified bee viruses,
  which are hard to identify in the field and whose symptoms may appear
  as common infectious diseases, hence being easily misidentified."
 
  "...  varroa mites did exhibit a significant correlation
  in the spread of chronic bee paralysis virus types one and two,
  hairless black bee virus, Kashmir bee virus, black queen cell virus
  and others."
 
  "... it is perhaps the manner in which varroa feed on honeybees that
  activates the viruses, helping them to flourish to the detriment of
  colony population."
 
To receive a copy of the entire log, send E-Mail to:
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with a single line in the body of the mail which reads:
             GET BEE-L LOG9602
or peruse them at W. Allen Dick's web page at:
             http://www.cuug.ab.ca:8001/~dicka
WARNING! the logs have grown to be QUITE large.  It's perhaps time to
split the logs by week rather than month.
 
Sincerely,
Aaron Morris