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Li N, Li C, Hu T, Li J, Zhou H, Ji J, Wu J, Kang W, Holmes EC, Shi W, Xu S. Nationwide genomic surveillance reveals the prevalence and evolution of honeybee viruses in China. MICROBIOME 2023; 11:6. [PMID: 36631833 PMCID: PMC9832778 DOI: 10.1186/s40168-022-01446-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2022] [Accepted: 12/08/2022] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The economic and environmental value of honeybees has been severely challenged in recent years by the collapse of their colonies worldwide, often caused by outbreaks of infectious diseases. However, our understanding of the diversity, prevalence, and transmission of honeybee viruses is largely obscure due to a lack of large-scale and longitudinal genomic surveillance on a global scale. RESULTS We report the meta-transcriptomic sequencing of nearly 2000 samples of the two most important economic and widely maintained honeybee species, as well as an associated ectoparasite mite, collected across China during 2016-2019. We document the natural diversity and evolution of honeybee viruses in China, providing evidence that multiple viruses commonly co-circulate within individual bee colonies. We also expanded the genomic data for 12 important honeybee viruses and revealed novel genetic variants and lineages associated with China. We identified more than 23 novel viruses from the honeybee and mite viromes, with some exhibiting ongoing replication in their respective hosts. Together, these data provide additional support to the idea that mites are an important reservoir and spill-over host for honeybee viruses. CONCLUSIONS Our data show that honeybee viruses are more widespread, prevalent, and genetically diverse than previously realized. The information provided is important in mitigating viral infectious diseases in honeybees, in turn helping to maintain sustainable productive agriculture on a global scale. Video Abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nannan Li
- Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Cixiu Li
- Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, China
- Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases in Universities of Shandong, Department of Pathogen Biology, School of Clinical and Basic Medical Sciences, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Taian, 271000, China
| | - Tao Hu
- Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases in Universities of Shandong, Department of Pathogen Biology, School of Clinical and Basic Medical Sciences, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Taian, 271000, China
| | - Juan Li
- Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, China
- Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases in Universities of Shandong, Department of Pathogen Biology, School of Clinical and Basic Medical Sciences, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Taian, 271000, China
| | - Hong Zhou
- Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, China
- Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases in Universities of Shandong, Department of Pathogen Biology, School of Clinical and Basic Medical Sciences, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Taian, 271000, China
| | - Jingkai Ji
- Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, China
- Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases in Universities of Shandong, Department of Pathogen Biology, School of Clinical and Basic Medical Sciences, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Taian, 271000, China
| | - Jiangli Wu
- Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Weipeng Kang
- Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Edward C Holmes
- Sydeny Institute for Infectious Diseases, School of Medical Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
| | - Weifeng Shi
- Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases in Universities of Shandong, Department of Pathogen Biology, School of Clinical and Basic Medical Sciences, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Taian, 271000, China.
- School of Public Health, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Taian, 271000, China.
| | - Shufa Xu
- Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100193, China.
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Wei R, Cao L, Feng Y, Chen Y, Chen G, Zheng H. Sacbrood Virus: A Growing Threat to Honeybees and Wild Pollinators. Viruses 2022; 14:1871. [PMID: 36146677 PMCID: PMC9505205 DOI: 10.3390/v14091871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2022] [Revised: 08/19/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Sacbrood virus (SBV) is one of the many viruses that infect both the Western honeybee (Apis mellifera) and the Eastern honeybee (Apis cerana). Recently, the interspecies transmission of SBV has been discovered, especially among wild pollinators. This newly discovered evolutionary occurrence regarding SBV indicates a much wider host range than previously believed, causing further concern about the future sustainability of agriculture and the resilience of ecosystems. Over the past few decades, vast numbers of studies have been undertaken concerning SBV infection in honeybees, and remarkable progress has been made in our understanding of the epidemiology, pathogenesis, transmission, and manifestations of SBV infection in honeybees and other pollinators. Meanwhile, some methods, including Chinese medicine, have been established to control and prevent sacbrood disease in A. cerana in Asian countries. In this review, we summarize the existing knowledge of SBV and address the gaps in the knowledge within the existing literature in the hope of providing future directions for the research and development of management strategies for controlling the spread of this deadly disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruike Wei
- College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Lianfei Cao
- Institute of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310021, China
| | - Ye Feng
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Yanping Chen
- USDA-ARS Bee Research Laboratory, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA
| | - Gongwen Chen
- College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Huoqing Zheng
- College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
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Sacbrood viruses cross-infection between Apis cerana and Apis mellifera: Rapid detection, viral dynamics, evolution and spillover risk assessment. J Invertebr Pathol 2021; 186:107687. [PMID: 34728219 DOI: 10.1016/j.jip.2021.107687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2021] [Revised: 10/22/2021] [Accepted: 10/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Recent outbreaks of sacbrood virus (SBV) have caused serious epizootic disease in Apis cerana populations across Asia including Taiwan. Earlier phylogenetic analyses showed that cross-infection of AcSBV and AmSBV in both A. cerana and A. mellifera seems common, raising a concern of cross-infection intensifying the risk of disease resurgence in A. cerana. In this study, we analyzed the dynamics of cross-infection in three different types of apiaries (A. mellifera-only, A. cerana-only and two species co-cultured apiaries) over one year in Taiwan. Using novel, genotype-specific primer sets, we showed that SBV infection status varies across apiaries: AmSBV-AM and AcSBV-AC were the major genotype in the A. mellifera-only and the A. cerana-only apiaries, respectively, while AmSBV-AC and AcSBV-AC were the dominant genotypes in the co-cultured apiaries. Interestingly, co-cultured apiaries were among the only apiary type that harbored all variants and dual infections (i.e., AC and AM genotype co-infection in a single sample), indicating the interactions between hosts may form a conduit for cross-infection. The cross-infection between the two honey bee species appears to occur in a regular cycle with temporal fluctuation of AmSBV-AC and AcSBV-AC prevalence synchronized to each other in the co-cultured apiaries. Artificial infection of AcSBV in A. mellifera workers showed the suppression of viral replication, suggesting the potential of A. mellifera serving as a AcSBV reservoir that may contribute to virus spillover. Furthermore, the survival rate of A. cerana larvae was significantly reduced after artificial infections of both SBVs, indicating fitness costs of cross-infection on A. cerana and thus a high risk of disease resurgence in co-cultured apiaries. Our field and laboratory data provide baseline information that facilitates understanding of the risk of SBV cross-infection, and highlights the urgent need of SBV monitoring in co-cultured apiaries.
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Nanetti A, Bortolotti L, Cilia G. Pathogens Spillover from Honey Bees to Other Arthropods. Pathogens 2021; 10:1044. [PMID: 34451508 PMCID: PMC8400633 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens10081044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2021] [Revised: 08/09/2021] [Accepted: 08/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Honey bees, and pollinators in general, play a major role in the health of ecosystems. There is a consensus about the steady decrease in pollinator populations, which raises global ecological concern. Several drivers are implicated in this threat. Among them, honey bee pathogens are transmitted to other arthropods populations, including wild and managed pollinators. The western honey bee, Apis mellifera, is quasi-globally spread. This successful species acted as and, in some cases, became a maintenance host for pathogens. This systematic review collects and summarizes spillover cases having in common Apis mellifera as the mainteinance host and some of its pathogens. The reports are grouped by final host species and condition, year, and geographic area of detection and the co-occurrence in the same host. A total of eighty-one articles in the time frame 1960-2021 were included. The reported spillover cases cover a wide range of hymenopteran host species, generally living in close contact with or sharing the same environmental resources as the honey bees. They also involve non-hymenopteran arthropods, like spiders and roaches, which are either likely or unlikely to live in close proximity to honey bees. Specific studies should consider host-dependent pathogen modifications and effects on involved host species. Both the plasticity of bee pathogens and the ecological consequences of spillover suggest a holistic approach to bee health and the implementation of a One Health approach.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Laura Bortolotti
- Council for Agricultural Research and Agricultural Economics Analysis, Centre for Agriculture and Environment Research (CREA-AA), Via di Saliceto 80, 40128 Bologna, Italy; (A.N.); (G.C.)
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