Varroa destructor shapes the unique viral landscapes of the honey bee populations of the Azores archipelago.

ABSTRACT: The worldwide dispersal of the ectoparasitic mite Varroa destructor from its Asian origins has fundamentally transformed the relationship of the honey bee (Apis mellifera) with several of its viruses, via changes in transmission and/or host immunosuppression. The extent to which honey bee-virus relationships change after Varroa invasion is poorly understood for most viruses, in part because there are few places in the world with several geographically close but completely isolated honey bee populations that either have, or have not, been exposed long-term to Varroa, allowing for separate ecological, epidemiological, and adaptive relationships to develop between honey bees and their viruses, in relation to the mite's presence or absence. The Azores is one such place, as it contains islands

SUBMITTER: Lopes AR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11221739 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature