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Updated: Aug 9, 2026
Preparation of Virus-Enriched Inoculum for Oral Infection of Honey Bees (Apis mellifera)
Published on: August 26, 2020
Localization of deformed wing virus infection in queen and drone Apis mellifera L
Julie Fievet1, Diana Tentcheva, Laurent Gauthier
1Laboratoire de Pathologie Comparée des Invertébrés EPHE, UMR 1231 Biologie Intégrative et Virologie des Insectes INRA, Université Montpellier II, Place Bataillon, 34095 Montpellier, France. julie.fievet@ifremer.fr
Abstract:
The distribution of deformed wing virus infection within the honey bee reproductive castes (queens, drones) was investigated by in situ hybridization and immunohistology from paraffin embedded sections. Digoxygenin or CY5.5 fluorochrome end-labelled nucleotide probes hybridizing to the 3' portion of the DWV genome were used to identify DWV RNA, while a monospecific antibody to the DWV-VP1 structural protein was used to identify viral proteins and particles. The histological data were confirmed by quantitative RT-PCR of dissected organs. Results showed that DWV infection is not restricted to the digestive tract of the bee but spread in the whole body, including queen ovaries, queen fat body and drone seminal vesicles.
