Bioinformatic Surveillance Leads to Discovery of Two Novel Putative Bunyaviruses Associated with Black Soldier Fly.

ABSTRACT: The black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens, BSF) has emerged as an industrial insect of high promise because of its ability to convert organic waste into nutritious feedstock, making it an environmentally sustainable alternative protein source. As global interest rises, rearing efforts have also been upscaled, which is highly conducive to pathogen transmission. Viral epidemics have stifled mass-rearing efforts of other insects of economic importance, such as crickets, silkworms, and honeybees, but little is known about the viruses that associate with BSF. Although BSFs are thought to be unusually resistant to pathogens because of their expansive antimicrobial gene repertoire, surveillance techniques could be useful in identifying emerging pathogens and common BSF microbes. In this stu

SUBMITTER: Walt HK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10460066 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature