title: A metagenomic survey of microbes in honey bee colony collapse disorder.
abstract: In colony collapse disorder (CCD), honey bee colonies inexplicably lose their workers. CCD has resulted in a loss of 50 to 90% of colonies in beekeeping operations across the United States. The observation that irradiated combs from affected colonies can be repopulated with naive bees suggests that infection may contribute to CCD. We used an unbiased metagenomic approach to survey microflora in CCD hives, normal hives, and imported royal jelly. Candidate pathogens were screened for significance of association with CCD by the examination of samples collected from several sites over a period of 3 years. One organism, Israeli acute paralysis virus of bees, was strongly correlated with CCD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Entomology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA.
authors.forename: Diana L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Cox-Foster
authors.forename: Sean
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Conlan
authors.forename: Edward C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Holmes
authors.forename: Gustavo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Palacios
authors.forename: Jay D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Evans
authors.forename: Nancy A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Moran
authors.forename: Phenix-Lan
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Quan
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Briese
authors.forename: Mady
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hornig
authors.forename: David M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Geiser
authors.forename: Vince
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Martinson
authors.forename: Dennis
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: vanEngelsdorp
authors.forename: Abby L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Kalkstein
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Drysdale
authors.forename: Jeffrey
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hui
authors.forename: Junhui
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhai
authors.forename: Liwang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.forename: Stephen K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Hutchison
authors.forename: Jan Fredrik
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Simons
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Egholm
authors.forename: Jeffery S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Pettis
authors.forename: W Ian
authors.initials: WI
authors.lastname: Lipkin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001419:Bacteria / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D001516:Bees / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000469:parasitology / Q000821:virology*; D005227:Fatty Acids; D020459:Genes, rRNA; D023281:Genomics; D007304:Insect Viruses / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016818:Nosema / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D010802:Phylogeny; D012328:RNA Viruses / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012329:RNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D014351:Trypanosomatina / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D000099219:Royal Jelly