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Date: | Fri, 4 Jan 2002 13:44:55 -0600 |
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>>> [log in to unmask] 01/02/02 09:16PM >>>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: adony melathopoulos [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: Wednesday, January 02, 2002 3:35 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Do bee disease evolve to be more benign?
>
> When a parasite jumps hosts the new host does not seem to do very well.
The theory I remember from graduate school is that a disease or parasite
that has "co-evolved" with its host in one part of the world, when introduced
to a "related" host (maybe the same genus but a different species) in another
part of the world will most often be "more virulent" to the new host, agreeing
with the above statement.
The concept being that in order for a parasite to survive, its host population
must also survive. If it killed all of its hosts, it would die out too. Therefore,
a parasite that had co-evolved with the host that was to be controlled would
not be as effective a bio-control agent as one that had not. It therefore
follows that Varroa would be a very effective bio-control agent for EHB, as
we see it is.
Layne Westover, College Station, Texas
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