We have discovered VDV-1 in two N. American bee samples from Fl.  This  virus 
is known to occur in several countries in  Europe, and it  reproduces in both 
mites and honey bees.  What it does to a bee is unknown,  but it is in the 
same genus (Ifla virus) as Sacbrood, Deformed Wing Virus,  and Kakugo virus.  
 
You can read about it on the US Army ECBC web page  
_http://www.edgewood.army.mil/_ (http://www.edgewood.army.mil/) , with  more detail on the University 
of Montana web page _http://www.umt.edu_ (http://www.umt.edu) .
 
We will be submitting a paper on how we found this, and on the specifics of  
the identification - but we wanted to get the word out to APHIS, to 
beekeepers,  and to researchers as soon as we had confirmed the detection of it.  
 
We don't know if this virus is benign, pathogenic, or something in  between.  
We do want to be sure that everyone is aware that it is here in  N. America 
so that it can be monitored.
 
Its certainly NOT likely to be a cause of CCD, since it was only in a  couple 
of samples.  But, the Army technology allowed us to pick it up at  what 
appears to be an early stage in its introduction.
 
Jerry



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