A honey bee-associated virus remains infectious and quantifiable in postmortem hosts

Area of Science:

• Apiculture and Pollinator Health
• Virology
• Insect Pathology

Background:

• Corpse-mediated pathogen transmission is a known infection route, but its role in honey bee virus spread is understudied.
• Understanding virus stability in deceased bees is crucial for research accuracy and disease management.
• Viral RNA degradation post-death can impact infectivity, creating a knowledge gap in honey bee pathology.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the reliability of using postmortem honey bees for quantifying virus abundance.
• To determine the infectious period of Israeli acute paralysis virus (IAPV) in deceased bees.
• To evaluate the potential of dead bees as a source for honey bee virus transmission.

Main Methods:

• Adult honey bees were experimentally infected with IAPV.
• Virus levels in live and postmortem bees (sampled at 4, 12, 24, 48 hours post-death) were quantified using RT-qPCR.
• Infectivity of IAPV extracted from postmortem bees was tested over time.

Main Results:

• No significant difference in IAPV abundance was found between live and postmortem bee samples.
• Quantification of IAPV in postmortem bees is statistically comparable to live-sampled bees.
• IAPV remained highly infectious in dead bees for at least 48 hours post-death.

Conclusions:

• Postmortem honey bees are reliable for quantifying IAPV abundance.
• IAPV is more resilient to degradation than previously assumed.
• Deceased bees can serve as a significant source of IAPV infection for healthy bee populations.