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Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology

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Subject:
From:
Peter L Borst <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Mon, 12 Jan 2009 09:09:38 -0500
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On Mon, 12 Jan 2009 06:35:47 EST, Chris Slade <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

>I'm still unclear, if N. Ceranae doesn't cause dysentery, how the combs
become contaminated. 

Sorry to have to just blurt it out, but the shit is all over the place. The
following refers to viruses but *in my opinion* would also include bacteria,
microsporidia, pathogens of any sort.


> Fecal–oral transmission spreads pathogens by transferring feces of
diseased hosts to uninfected hosts via ingestion and is strongly suspected
in environments with overcrowded conditions. Honey bee colonies with densely
crowded populations should be a favorable condition for this transmission
route. 

> Evidence of a fecal-borne transmission route of viruses in honey bees has
been provided by the detection of viruses in feces and digestive tracts of
bees. Chen et al. demonstrated the presence of two viruses BQCV and DWV in
the feces freshly defecated by individual queens. Among samples examined for
viruses, 100% of feces samples tested positive for the presence of BQCV, and
90% of feces samples tested positive for the presence of DWV. Findings by
Chen et al. were consistent with previous reports that viruses were found in
the feces of worker bees. 

> Detection of viruses in feces of bees suggests the possibility of the
existence of foodborne transmission in honey bees, where infected bees
eliminate viruses in their feces and uninfected bees can be infected by
feeding on feces-contaminated food or by cleaning the infected bees’ feces
accumulated in the hive. 

> Oral infection of viruses by contaminated food can be further traced by
examination of the digestive gut for virus infections. The studies showed
that the same viruses found in feces were also detected in the digestive
tract of the bees, providing further evidence of the ingestion of
virus-contaminated food and the existence of foodborne or fecal–oral
transmission routes in honey bees. 

Honey bee viruses.
Chen YP, [log in to unmask]
USDA-ARS, Bee Research Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland 20705, USA. 

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