*FYI*
 
Last Official USDA Word on Kashmir bee virus in the US, (that I
could find), minus any data from Hawaii as it may not have been included
in this round of tests...in 1993. Have no idea if this is the same as
the INDIAN BEE Virus that is claimed to be the cause of horrendous
losses of hive and native bees in large parts of India. But it matters
not because most of these virus have the ability to change and become
very virulent without any help from man or bees'tees. And for sure
except for trying to determine if they are abundant in US bees they have
received little study here, and I fear will not receive a great deal of
attention in the near future because of the cost considerations.
 
Beekeepers may have to treat virus tainted bees or beekeeping
operations with a history of unexplained loss, the same as we treat AID's
patents. Give them the best care for the symptoms that are treatable. If
the beehive itself is the unit of husbandry then that beehive may need
to have a secondary unit, a nuc, available each season to maintain
itself even with the best diet, chemical treatment, and TLC by the
keeper of the bees. At least those beekeeper's who are doing this now
appear to be maintaining productive hives.
 
                          ttul Andy-
 
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09/19/94                 Agricultural Research Service
Page     8 2
                 Technology Transfer Automated Retrieval System
                                 (ARS TEKTRAN)
Title:SURVEY FOR KASHMIR BEE VIRUS IN HONEY BEE COLONIES IN THE UNITED
STATES
 
BRUCE  WILLIAM A
ANDERSON  D
CALDERONE  N W
SHIMANUKI  H
Technical Abstract:
 
A survey for Kashmir Bee Virus (KBV) in honey bee (Apis mellifera L)
colonies in the United States is reported.  Samples consisting of 300
worker bees were collected from one hived colony in each of 10 different
apiaries in California, Flordia, Maine, Minnesota, New York, Texas, and
Washington.  Extracts were obtained from each and injected into groups of
normal healthy white-eyed honey bee pupae to increase to detectable
concentrations any viruses that may have been present in the extracts in
small concentrations.  Extracts were subsequently obtained from each
injected pupa and tested for the presence of KBV and other virus particles
in serological tests. KBV was found to be present in each of the seven
States sampled.
Submitted to:                                             (approved 08/04/93)
 
   AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL (APICULTURAL RESEARCH SECTION)
WILLIAM A BRUCE                    301 504-8821           FTS
BEE RESEARCH LABORATORY
BLDG. 476, BARC-EAST               FAX Number:
BELTSVILLE
MD 20705
.
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 ~ QMPro 1.53 ~ ... Where bee-hives range on a gray bench in the garden,