Virus infections of the honeybee (Apis mellifera)

The role of viruses as pathogens in honeybee diseases is of increasing conc ern; recent evidence shows that virus-induced diseases can be exacerbated, and persistent infections activated by infestation with the parasitic mite Varroa destructor (previous name Varroa jacobsoni Oudemans); meanwhile esse ntially no bee colony in Austria is free of Varroa. Further, the consequences of virus infections are becoming more significant since infections today have repercussions beyond their direct impact on ho ney production: environmental pollution has dramatically reduced (or even e radicated) the populations of many insect species and the role of bees as e ssential pollinators for plants has become paramount. Virus-induced populat ion decrease amongst honeybees thus affects not only the bee farming econom y but also other aspects of agriculture (especially fruit production) and p lant ecology. In this paper the most common and important viral infections of the honeybee are described.