Virology Journal (Jan 2022)
Cold case: The disappearance of Egypt bee virus, a fourth distinct master strain of deformed wing virus linked to honeybee mortality in 1970’s Egypt
- Joachim R. de Miranda,
- Laura E. Brettell,
- Nor Chejanovsky,
- Anna K. Childers,
- Anne Dalmon,
- Ward Deboutte,
- Dirk C. de Graaf,
- Vincent Doublet,
- Haftom Gebremedhn,
- Elke Genersch,
- Sebastian Gisder,
- Fredrik Granberg,
- Nizar J. Haddad,
- Rene Kaden,
- Robyn Manley,
- Jelle Matthijnssens,
- Ivan Meeus,
- Hussein Migdadi,
- Meghan O. Milbrath,
- Fanny Mondet,
- Emily J. Remnant,
- John M. K. Roberts,
- Eugene V. Ryabov,
- Noa Sela,
- Guy Smagghe,
- Hema Somanathan,
- Lena Wilfert,
- Owen N. Wright,
- Stephen J. Martin,
- Brenda V. Ball
Affiliations
- Joachim R. de Miranda
- Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
- Laura E. Brettell
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University
- Nor Chejanovsky
- Institute of Plant Protection
- Anna K. Childers
- Bee Research Laboratory, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, USDA
- Anne Dalmon
- Abeilles et Environnement, INRAE
- Ward Deboutte
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute, Laboratory for Clinical and Epidemiological Virology, University of Leuven
- Dirk C. de Graaf
- Laboratory of Molecular Entomology and Bee Pathology, Ghent University
- Vincent Doublet
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter
- Haftom Gebremedhn
- Laboratory of Molecular Entomology and Bee Pathology, Ghent University
- Elke Genersch
- Institut Für Mikrobiologie Und Tierseuchen, Fachbereich Veterinärmedizin, Freie Universität Berlin
- Sebastian Gisder
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Bee Diseases, Institute for Bee Research
- Fredrik Granberg
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Veterinary Public Health, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
- Nizar J. Haddad
- Bee Research Department, National Agricultural Research Center
- Rene Kaden
- Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
- Robyn Manley
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter
- Jelle Matthijnssens
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute, Laboratory for Clinical and Epidemiological Virology, University of Leuven
- Ivan Meeus
- Laboratory of Agrozoology, Department of Plants and Crops, Ghent University
- Hussein Migdadi
- Bee Research Department, National Agricultural Research Center
- Meghan O. Milbrath
- Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
- Fanny Mondet
- Abeilles et Environnement, INRAE
- Emily J. Remnant
- Behaviour, Ecology and Evolution (BEE) Lab, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney
- John M. K. Roberts
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation
- Eugene V. Ryabov
- Bee Research Laboratory, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, USDA
- Noa Sela
- Institute of Plant Protection
- Guy Smagghe
- Laboratory of Agrozoology, Department of Plants and Crops, Ghent University
- Hema Somanathan
- School of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research
- Lena Wilfert
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter
- Owen N. Wright
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter
- Stephen J. Martin
- School of Environment and Life Sciences, University of Salford
- Brenda V. Ball
- Rothamsted Research
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1186/s12985-022-01740-2
- Journal volume & issue
-
Vol. 19,
no. 1
pp. 1 – 11
Abstract
Abstract In 1977, a sample of diseased adult honeybees (Apis mellifera) from Egypt was found to contain large amounts of a previously unknown virus, Egypt bee virus, which was subsequently shown to be serologically related to deformed wing virus (DWV). By sequencing the original isolate, we demonstrate that Egypt bee virus is in fact a fourth unique, major variant of DWV (DWV-D): more closely related to DWV-C than to either DWV-A or DWV-B. DWV-A and DWV-B are the most common DWV variants worldwide due to their close relationship and transmission by Varroa destructor. However, we could not find any trace of DWV-D in several hundred RNA sequencing libraries from a worldwide selection of honeybee, varroa and bumblebee samples. This means that DWV-D has either become extinct, been replaced by other DWV variants better adapted to varroa-mediated transmission, or persists only in a narrow geographic or host range, isolated from common bee and beekeeping trade routes.
Keywords
