Emerging Infectious Diseases (Dec 2017)

Moku Virus in Invasive Asian Hornets, Belgium, 2016

  • Mutien Garigliany,
  • Bernard Taminiau,
  • Noëmie El Agrebi,
  • Daniel Cadar,
  • Gautier Gilliaux,
  • Marie Hue,
  • Daniel Desmecht,
  • Georges Daube,
  • Annick Linden,
  • Frédéric Farnir,
  • Michel De Proft,
  • Claude Saegerman

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3201/eid2312.171080
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 23, no. 12
pp. 2109 – 2112

Abstract

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We report the detection of Moku virus in invasive Asian hornets (Vespa velutina nigrithorax) in Belgium. This constitutes an unexpected report of this iflavirus outside Hawaii, USA, where it was recently described in social wasps. Although virulence of Moku virus is unknown, its potential spread raises concern for European honeybee populations.

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