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Preparation of Virus-Enriched Inoculum for Oral Infection of Honey Bees (Apis mellifera)
Published on: August 26, 2020
Venereal and vertical transmission of deformed wing virus in honeybees (Apis mellifera L.)
1Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala 750-07, Sweden. joachimdemiranda@yahoo.com
Abstract:
Deformed wing virus (DWV) infected semen was used for artificial insemination of DWV-free virgin queens. High titres of DWV could subsequently be detected not only in the spermatheca, but also in the ovaries, demonstrating venereal transmission of DWV in honey bees. Subsequent vertical transmission of the virus to the progeny of DWV infected queens was also demonstrated. Neither transmission route is 100% effective. Whether venereal transmission of DWV occurs during natural mating remains to be determined. The implications for the use, sale and transport of semen samples for artificial insemination are discussed.
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