A sting in the spit: widespread cross-infection of multiple RNA viruses across wild and managed bees.

ABSTRACT: Declining populations of bee pollinators are a cause of concern, with major repercussions for biodiversity loss and food security. RNA viruses associated with honeybees represent a potential threat to other insect pollinators, but the extent of this threat is poorly understood. This study aims to attain a detailed understanding of the current and ongoing risk of emerging infectious disease (EID) transmission between managed and wild pollinator species across a wide range of RNA viruses. Within a structured large-scale national survey across 26 independent sites, we quantify the prevalence and pathogen loads of multiple RNA viruses in co-occurring managed honeybee (Apis mellifera) and wild bumblebee (Bombus spp.) populations. We then construct models that compare virus prevalence between wi

SUBMITTER: McMahon DP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4832299 | biostudies-literature | 2015 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature