What Role Are Viruses Playing In Declining Bee Populations

Are viruses playing a bigger role than we first thought in causing declines in world bee populations?  That's just one question that's come up after an international team of scientists is reporting this month, finding evidence of 27 previously-unknown viruses in bee species in nine countries.

"My guess, and I suspect the author's as well, is that 20-plus of those are just passing through," said Jay Evans, a research leader at the USDA's Bee Lab in Maryland.

Evans notes many of those viruses, are probably not affecting bees.  But, that leaves seven novel viruses, perhaps, they can be really interesting for bee disease. So, the follow-up work will be to identify the handful in those 27 that might actually be involved with impacting bee health.

"Or, the health of the plants that bees feed from, because one of the new viruses found in bees is very similar to one that infects plants.

So, Evans said besides using the cheaper genetic-sequencing technology to the find the virus that's affecting bee health.

“You could sample a bee, perhaps, to reflect the bad actors that are in the plant world and kind of survey the plants and see what they're carrying and the bees are picking up.”