Honey bee louse (Braula schmitzi) as a honey bee virus vector?

Abstract

Beekeeping is considered an integral part of agriculture, either as a main or complementary activity. However, the increase in the number of managed honey bee colonies does not meet the steadily increasing need for managed pollinators in agriculture. Colony losses can be caused by honey bee viruses, which can spread between colonies and apiaries, using several alternatives such as honey bees, Varroa mites, as well as flowers, a fact that turns this kind of infection difficult to control. In this unpredictable scenario, the goal of the present study was to detect the presence of honey bee virus in bee louse (Braula schmitzi) in order to start considering bee louse as a honey bee virus vector. To our knowledge, this is the first report on the molecular detection of the bee virus (Acute bee paralysis virus, ABPV) in B. schmitzi worldwide. Although these findings are of great importance, further studies are needed to determine whether ABPV can replicate inside Braula individuals, increasing their viral load, or just transfer viral particles between bees. In addition, as the same as other bee parasites, the presence of the bee louse must be controlled to minimize the spread of bee pathogens, as ABPV.