Scientists Discover New Virus Invading US Honeybees
August 30, 2008 by admin
Filed under Featured, Stories Of Interest
The invading bee virus newly discovered in the U.S. is called Varroa Destructor Virus -1 VDV-1. First definitively identified in Europe in 2006, VDV-1 is carried by both honeybees and the tiny varroa mites that affect them. VDV-1 is related to a family of paralytic viruses that causes a breakdown of some membranes.
In silkworms the virus causes flaccid disease, which causes the worms to digest themselves internally.
The virus was discovered using a technology developed for battlefield detection of viruses. This technology, called Integrated Virus Detection System / Proteomic Mass Spectrometry, reveals virus by size and peptide information contained in a sample and compares that information against known genetic sequences.
