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Applied and Environmental Microbiology, April 2006, p. 2414-2420, Vol. 72, No. 4
0099-2240/06/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/AEM.72.4.2414-2420.2006
Copyright © 2006, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Occurrence of Six Honeybee Viruses in Diseased Austrian Apiaries

Olga Berényi,1 Tamás Bakonyi,1,2 Irmgard Derakhshifar,3 Hemma Köglberger,3 and Norbert Nowotny1,4*

Zoonoses and Emerging Infections Group, Clinical Virology, Clinical Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Infectious Diseases and Clinical Pathology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, A-1210 Vienna, Austria,1 Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Szent István University, H-1143 Budapest, Hungary,2 Institute for Apiculture, Agricultural Inspection Service and Research Centre Vienna, Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety and Federal Office for Food Safety, A-1226 Vienna, Austria,3 Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates4

Received 1 September 2005/ Accepted 19 January 2006

The occurrence, prevalence, and distribution patterns of acute bee paralysis virus (ABPV), black queen cell virus (BQCV), chronic bee paralysis virus (CBPV), deformed wing virus (DWV), Kashmir bee virus (KBV), and sacbrood virus (SBV) were investigated in 90 Austrian honeybee colonies suffering from symptoms of depopulation, sudden collapse, paralysis, or dark coloring by employing reverse transcription-PCR. Infestation with parasites was also recorded. The samples originated from all parts of Austria. The most prevalent virus was DWV, present in 91% of samples, followed by ABPV, SBV, and BQCV (68%, 49%, and 30%, respectively). CBPV was detected in 10% of colonies, while KBV was not present in any sample. In most samples, more than one virus was identified. The distribution pattern of ABPV, BQCV, CBPV, and SBV varied considerably in the different geographic regions investigated, while DWV was widespread in all Austrian federal states. In bees that showed dark coloring and disorientation, CBPV was always detected. Simultaneous infections of DWV and ABPV were most frequently observed in colonies suffering from weakness, depopulation, and sudden collapse. Bees obtained from apparently healthy colonies within the same apiaries showed a similar distribution pattern of viruses; however, the relative virus load was 10 to 126 times lower than in bees from diseased colonies. A limited number of bee samples from surrounding central European countries (Germany, Poland, Hungary, and Slovenia) were also tested for the presence of the above viruses. Variances were found in the distribution of BQCV and SBV.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Zoonoses and Emerging Infections Group, Clinical Virology, Clinical Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Infectious Diseases and Clinical Pathology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, A-1210 Vienna, Austria. Phone: 43 1 25077 2704. Fax: 43 1 25077 2790. E-mail: Norbert.Nowotny{at}vu-wien.ac.at.

Applied and Environmental Microbiology, April 2006, p. 2414-2420, Vol. 72, No. 4
0099-2240/06/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/AEM.72.4.2414-2420.2006
Copyright © 2006, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Yue, C., Schroder, M., Gisder, S., Genersch, E. (2007). Vertical-transmission routes for deformed wing virus of honeybees (Apis mellifera). J. Gen. Virol. 88: 2329-2336 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Iqbal, J., Mueller, U. (2007). Virus infection causes specific learning deficits in honeybee foragers. Proc R Soc B 274: 1517-1521 [Abstract] [Full Text]  


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