> > One would think that if mites were capable of DWV infection, there would
> be a reduction in their fitness do the energetic cost of viral replication.


Peter and Bill, you both know that I've been calling bullshit for some time
on the claim that DWV replicates in varroa.
There's a paper in press that clearly demonstrates that DWV-A does not
replicate in varroa tissue, but can continue to replicate for a while in
the honey bee fat bodies in the mite's gut lumen.  Based upon the studies
by Ongus, who first identified DWV-B (VDV-1), it's doubtful that that
strain can replicate in varroa either.
-- 
Randy Oliver
Grass Valley, CA
www.ScientificBeekeeping.com

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