>It would be great if DWV evolved toward less virulence and eventually didn't deform wings or kill the host - it seems like a long shot. But even if DWV mutations shift toward less virulence the problem is still varroa and their consumption of the irreplaceable fat bodies that they drain out of the pupa.

I'll concede the question about whether DWV-B will prove to be less virulent is strictly conjecture on my part. It is interesting to see how ubiquitous DWV-B has become in the lower 48 in just the last decade.

When I asked the USDA study researcher about the complete lack of DWV-A in our recent samples she noted, ... we have seen a decline of DWV-A as DWV-B rises.

And the challenge of survival in the absence of external inputs appears to be multifaceted:

There is the tolerance question that surrounds viral load and expression of disease;

And the resistance question that surrounds minimizing mite population growth to support production of healthy winter bees.

It seems both might be required in some measure to lead toward a more stable host-parasite dynamic.



             ***********************************************
The BEE-L mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software.  For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html