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Subject:
From:
"Peter L. Borst" <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Fri, 4 Jul 2008 09:13:52 -0400
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Dean writes

>> the infected adult bees may have a decreased life span

> I'm curious...does this mean that "we don't know if the virus decreases the lifespan of adult bees or not"  or "in some cases, the lifespan of adult bees is decreased".  these are very different things, and the above quote is ambiguous.

* Depends on what your definition of "may" is  -- after Bill Clinton

Viruses definitely decrease the life span of the honey bee and may be
instrumental in colony collapse. Perhaps no one of these factors alone
is sufficient to cause the effect, but in combination a tipping point
is reached (which might be different for each colony or occur somewhat
simultaneously in an apiary)

* * *

> Observations from a variety of insect species reveal evidence for the effects of viral infection on developmental processes, locomotor activity, feeding, mating and other behaviours. While DWV infection in early development leads to deformation of wings, paralysis and mortality of the emerging bees, the infection of adult bees does not show such deformation. However, the DWV-infected colonies suffer from weakness, depopulation and sudden collapse. Under natural conditions, haemolymph infection via parasites like Varroa destructor as proposed by Bailey & Ball (1991) is the most probable scenario for DWV transmission.

-- 
Virus infection causes specific learning deficits in honeybee foragers
Javaid Iqbal and Uli Mueller

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