http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0098599

Abstract

Few areas of the world have western honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) colonies
that are free of invasive parasites *Nosema ceranae* (fungi) and *Varroa
destructor* (mites). Particularly detrimental is *V. destructor*; in
addition to feeding on host haemolymph, these mites are important vectors
of several viruses that are further implicated as contributors to honey bee
mortality around the world. Thus, the biogeography and attendant
consequences of viral communities in the absence of *V. destructor* are of
significant interest. The island of Newfoundland, Province of Newfoundland
and Labrador, Canada, is free of *V. destructor*; the absence of *N.
ceranae* has not been confirmed. Of 55 Newfoundland colonies inspected
visually for their strength and six signs of disease, only K-wing had
prevalence above 5% (40/55 colonies = 72.7%). Similar to an earlier study,
screenings again confirmed the absence of *V. destructor*, small hive
beetles *Aethina tumida* (Murray), tracheal mites*Acarapis woodi* (Rennie),
and *Tropilaelaps* spp. ectoparasitic mites. Of a subset of 23 colonies
screened molecularly for viruses, none had Israeli acute paralysis virus,
Kashmir bee virus, or sacbrood virus. Sixteen of 23 colonies (70.0%) were
positive for black queen cell virus, and 21 (91.3%) had some evidence for
deformed wing virus. No *N. ceranae* was detected in molecular screens of
55 colonies, although it is possible extremely low intensity infections
exist; the more familiar *N. apis* was found in 53 colonies (96.4%). Under
these conditions, K-wing was associated (positively) with colony strength;
however, viruses and *N. apis* were not. Furthermore, black queen cell
virus was positively and negatively associated with K-wing and deformed
wing virus, respectively. Newfoundland honey bee colonies are thus free of
several invasive parasites that plague operations in other parts of the
world, and they provide a unique research arena to study independent
pathology of the parasites that are present.

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