Use of Hive Debris to Detect Acute Bee Paralysis Virus, Chronic Bee Paralysis Virus and Deformed Wing Virus in Honey Bees: An Innovative and Non-Invasive Approach.

ABSTRACT: Honey bees are affected by several pathogens, including different RNA viruses such as Acute Bee Paralysis Virus (ABPV), Chronic Bee Paralysis Virus (CBPV) and Deformed Wing Virus (DWV). Real-time PCR (RT-PCR) is a standard method to detect these viruses, but it requires the sacrifice of bees. In this study, we tested an RT-PCR method, routinely used to detect ABPV, CBPV and DWV in bees, using hive debris as an alternative non-invasive matrix to adult bees. We analysed results both at apiary and colony levels. The performances of hive debris as an alternative matrix to bees were tested by calculating sensitivity, specificity and the Kappa index using RT-PCR results on bees as reference. At apiary level, specificity was high for ABPV and DWV, whereas sensitivity was high only for DWV. At col

SUBMITTER: Olivieri S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11986843 | biostudies-literature | 2025 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature