Penn State Researchers Identify Less Virulent Strain of Deadly Bee Virus in U.S. Forest
Penn State Researchers Identify Less Virulent Strain of Deadly Bee Virus in U.S. Forest In a promising revelation for honey bees, Penn State researchers have reported that the deadly deformed wing virus (DWV) may have evolved to be less lethal in at least one U.S. forest during this year's cold and flu season. Published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B, the study compared DWV rates and severity in wild honey bees from a forest near Ithaca, New York, to those in managed apiaries in New York and Pennsylvania. While infection rates were similar across all groups, the researchers identified a virus genotype in the wild honey bee population leading to milder infections compared to the variant found in managed apiaries. This discovery raises the possibility of less virulent strains of DWV circulating among honey bee populations. Allyson Ray, the study's lead author and a postdoctoral scholar at Vanderbilt University, highlighted the potential implications of the findings for...