Sacbrood viruses and select Lake Sinai virus variants dominated Apis mellifera colonies symptomatic for European foulbrood.

ABSTRACT: European foulbrood (EFB) is a prevalent disease in the European honey bee (Apis mellifera) in the United States, which can lead to colony decline and collapse. The bacterial components of EFB are well-studied, but the diversity of viral infections within infected colonies has not been explored. In this study, we use meta-transcriptomics sequencing of 12 honey bee hives, symptomatic (+, n = 6) and asymptomatic (-, n = 6) for EFB, to investigate viral infection associated with the disease. We assembled 41 viral genomes, belonging to three families (Iflaviridae, Dicistroviridae, and Sinhaliviridae), all previously reported in honey bees, including Lake Sinai virus, deformed wing virus, sacbrood virus, Black queen cell virus, and Israeli acute paralysis virus. In colonies

SUBMITTER: Hesketh-Best PJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11302354 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature