Bee Viruses Spread via Flower Pollen

[n2doc]

Rachel Kaufman
for National Geographic News
Published December 29, 2010

Viruses that could play a role in the recent decline in honeybee colonies may be spreading through flower pollen, new research finds.

What's more, a number of wild pollinators, such as bumblebees, yellowjackets, and wasps, can also become infected with viruses in the pollen.

In hives affected by colony collapse disorder—a phenomenon that surfaced in U.S. honeybee colonies in 2006—worker bees vanish en masse. Some studies have suggested that Israeli acute paralysis virus (IAPV), first identified in 2002, may be contributing to the bees' demise.

Scientists knew that several viruses that infect honeybee colonies are transmitted from one bee to another within the hive through the bugs' saliva or from an infected queen to her eggs.

more

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/12/101229-bees-collapse-viruses-animals-science/

[rosesaylavee]

1. Here's a link to the scientific work:

http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0014357

Still reading it... interesting info here. Thank you for posting.