from LAT article


"Australian bees do not suffer from CCD, leading researchers to speculate that the virus acts 
synergistically with chemicals in the environment or with another infectious agent, such as the 
varroa mite, which is not common in Australia.

Experiments are underway to determine which combination of virus and chemical or infectious 
agent, if any, causes the disease, and researchers hope to have an answer this year. Researchers 
are also examining archived bee specimens to determine whether the virus was present before 
2004.

"Our results indicate that [the virus] is a significant marker for CCD," said Dr. W. Ian Lipkin of 
Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health, a coauthor of the report published online 
today by the journal Science. "The next step is to ascertain whether [the virus], alone or in concert 
with other factors, can induce CCD in healthy bees." "

and 

"All of the bees, both healthy and sick, had a set of eight distinctive bacteria "that have not been 
found in any other environment or host," said coauthor Nancy A. Moran of the University of 
Arizona. "They are all unnamed species about which we know very little. They probably perform 
essential functions in bees, providing essential nutrients or contributing defenses against 
pathogens."

Similarly, there was "a remarkably high viral burden in bee populations, both those with CCD and 
those without it," said coauthor Edward C. Holmes of Penn State University. "There were seven 
different viruses, but only one was consistently found with CCD."

Israeli acute paralysis virus was found in all the CCD specimens, but in neither of the healthy 
specimens. It was also present in some bees imported from Australia and in two of four samples 
of royal jelly imported from China. The imported jelly is normally used as a cosmetic, but some 
beekeepers feed it to larvae to produce queens.All of the infected colonies, moreover, had bees 
from Australia or were housed close to bees from that country. U.S. officials are considering 
reinstating the ban on bees from Australia, Pettis said, but it may be too late to limit the damage 
already done.

Israeli acute paralysis virus was discovered in 2002 in dead bees from Israeli colonies by virologist 
Ilan Sela of the University of Jerusalem. In experiments reported this summer, Sela found that 
injecting the virus into bees killed 98% of recipients within days.

The symptoms in the Israeli bees -- shivering wings, paralysis and death -- are different from 
those exhibited by American bees. But Holmes speculated that the virus might have undergone 
slight genetic changes that had altered its pathogenicity.

"We know from other viruses that very small genetic changes can turn a benign virus into a very 
virulent one," he said.

Or it may be that the symptoms are different in bees whose immune systems are stressed by the 
varroa mite or by being trucked from farm to farm during the growing season."



Bob this does not sound like a *weak* hypothesis.  As usual science does not offer a black and 
white answer but rather a strong signal of where to go next to build the case. Geez why should we 
be surprised that the varroa mite could play a role in transmitting this virus and explain why no 
IAPV in Australia. 

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