Presence and prevalence of viruses in local and migratory honeybees (Apis mellifera) in Massachusetts.
Migratory and local bees in Massachusetts were analyzed for seven viruses. Three were detected: black queen cell virus (BQCV), deformed wing virus (DWV), and sacbrood virus (SBV). DWV was most common, followed closely by BQCV and then by SBV. BQCV and SBV were present at significantly higher rates in the migratory bees assayed, bringing into question the impact that these bees have on the health of local bee populations.
Welch
Anna
A
Department of Plant, Soil, and Insect Sciences, University of Massachusetts-Amherst, Fernald Hall, 270 Stockbridge Rd., Amherst, MA 01003, USA.
Drummond
Francis
F
Tewari
Sunil
S
Averill
Anne
A
Burand
John P
JP
D000818:Animals; D056630:Beekeeping; D001516:Bees / Q000821:virology*; D007304:Insect Viruses / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D008404:Massachusetts; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction