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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BARC) » Beltsville Agricultural Research Center » Bee Research Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #406604
Title: Apis mellifera solinvivirus-1, a novel honey bee virus that remained undetected for over a decade, is widespread in the USA

Author
item RYABOV, EUGENE - University Of Maryland
item NEARMAN, ANTHONY - University Of Maryland
item NESSA, ASHRAFUN - University Of Maryland
item Grubbs, Kyle
item SALMANN, BENJAMIN - Oregon State University
item FAHEY, RACHEL - University Of Maryland
item WILSON, MIKAYLA - University Of Maryland
item RENNICH, KAREN - University Of Maryland
item STEINHAUER, NATHALIE - University Of Maryland
item FAUVEL, ANNA MARIE - University Of Maryland
item Chen, Yanping - Judy
item Evans, Jay
item VAN ENGELSDROP, DENNIS - University Of Maryland

Submitted to: Viruses
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/18/2023
Publication Date: 7/21/2023
Citation: Ryabov, E., Nearman, A.J., Nessa, A., Grubbs, K.F., Salmann, B., Fahey, R., Wilson, M., Rennich, K., Steinhauer, N., Fauvel, A., Chen, Y., Evans, J.D., Van Engelsdrop, D. 2023. Apis mellifera solinvivirus-1, a novel honey bee virus that remained undetected for over a decade, is widespread in the USA. Viruses. eArticle 15(7), 1597. https://doi.org/10.3390/v15071597.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/v15071597

Interpretive Summary: Sudden honey bee colony losses remain a persistent problem for beekeepers. An extensive analysis of honey bee following recent losses in the western US found a member of poorly known group of insect viruses. This virus was correlated with bee losses and was subsequently found in 10% of US apiaries. It was first seen at low levels in 2010, but was likely present before that time. The results provide a new virus that can be important for surveillance, and show that viruses present in the US for can evade detection for over a decade.

Technical Abstract: Metagenomic analysis of the virome of honey bees (Apis mellifera) from an apiary with high rates of unexplained colony losses identified a novel RNA virus. The virus, which was named Apis mellifera solinvivirus 1 (AmSV1), has a 10.6 kb positive-strand genomic RNA with a single ORF coding for a polyprotein with the protease, helicase and RNA-dependent RNA polymerase domains and a single jelly-roll structural protein domain showing highest similarity with viruses in the family Solinviviridae. Injection of honey bee pupae with AmSV1 preparation showed an increase in virus titer and the accumulation of negative-strand of AmSV1 RNA 3 days after injection, indicating replication of AmSV1. In the infected worker bees AmSV1 was present in heads, thoraxes, and abdomens indicating that this virus causes systemic infection. Analysis of the geographic and historic distribution of AmSV1, using over 900 apiary samples collected across the USA, showed AmSV1 presence since at least 2010. In the year 2021, AmSV1 was detected in 10.45% of apiaries (95%CI: 8.41% - 12.79%), mostly sampled in June and July in Northwestern and Northeastern USA. The diagnostic methods and information on the AmSV1 distribution will be used to investigate connection of AmSV1 with honey bee colony losses.