A model of infection in honeybee colonies with social immunity.

ABSTRACT: Honeybees (Apis mellifera) play a significant role in the pollination of various food crops and plants. In the past decades, honeybee management has been challenged with increased pathogen and environmental pressure associating with increased beekeeping costs, having a marked economic impact on the beekeeping industry. Pathogens have been identified as a contributing cause of colony losses. Evidence suggested a possible route of pathogen transmission among bees via oral-oral contacts through trophallaxis. Here we propose a model that describes the transmission of an infection within a colony when bee members engage in the trophallactic activity to distribute nectar. In addition, we examine two important features of social immunity, defined as collective disease defenses organized by honeyb

SUBMITTER: Laomettachit T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7899363 | biostudies-literature | 2021

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature