Varroa destructor virus 1: A new picorna-like virus in Varroa mites as well as honey bees

Abstract

Honey bees are important insects that have benefited mankind for medicinal and nutritional purposes for thousands of years. They have also provided an important balance in the environment allowing many plant species to pollinate and proliferate. Honey bees have naturally occurring parasites and pathogens which usually do not destroy the bees. The development of long-distance travel among human beings introduced global trade in plants and animals introducing new species and diseases to regions where they did not exist previously. New diseases were introduced into bees and affected them severely. Among the most serious diseases are those caused by viruses and blood-sucking parasites. This chapter introduces the honey bee to the reader and also mentions some diseases suffered by the bee. Important parasites will be mentioned along with the effects they have on the bee. The chapter also defines the problem caused by an important parasitic mite and the discovery of virus in the mite body which was the basis of the research carried out. The scope of the study done will be summarised.