Agricultural Biotechnology Journal

Agricultural Biotechnology Journal

Molecular diagnosis of Varroa destructor associated with deformed wing virus type B (DWV-B) and its impact on colony performance of honey bees

Articles in Press

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors
Waad H. Al-Obaydi 1
Buraq Abdul Hasan Nasri 2
Nawras Ketab Fodeal 3
1 Department of Plant Protection, College of Agriculture, University of Anbar, Anbar, Iraq
2 Department of Plant Protection, College of Agricultural Engineering Sciences, University of Baghdad, Baghdad, Iraq
3 Plant Protection Directorate, Ministry of Agriculture, Bagdad, Iraq.
10.22103/jab.2026.27342.1938
Abstract
Objective
One of the most important pollinators worldwide, with great economic and ecological value, is the western honey bee (Apis mellifera). Honey bees produce honey and other valuable hive products. The aim of the present study was to perform molecular identification of Varroa destructor-associated deformed wing virus type B (DWV-B) and to evaluate its pathogenicity and effects on colony performance in honey bees (Apis mellifera).
Materials and methods
The study was conducted between January 2022 and December 2023 at the Department of Plant Protection, College of Agricultural Engineering Sciences, University of Baghdad, Iraq. One colony of infected bees was taken and used as a source of viral infection. To study the effect of viral infection on the vital activity of honey bee colonies, six healthy colonies free of Varroa infection or viral symptoms were prepared. SAS software (Version 9.4, SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC, USA) was used to perform statistical analyses.
Results
The results of molecular comparison showed that the sequence LC764795.1 belongs to the Deformed wing virus (DWV) and represents a part of the polyprotein gene. The results also showed that the corrected mortality percentage after treatment with VDV-1 (DWV-B) was zero after two hours of feeding. While, the highest mortality was recorded on the tenth day of infection, reaching 30.34%. The presence of the virus causing mortality was confirmed after extracting RNA and constructing the viral cDNA from dead worker bee samples taken after laboratory infection. The results demonstrated that infection of bee colonies with the virus significantly affected their bee population density, with an average density of 7 and 10 frames/colony for infected and healthy colonies, respectively. The infection also affected the total area of honey, pollen, and sealed brood.
Conclusion
The presence of DWV-B in honey bee colonies naturally infected with the mite Varroa destructor was confirmed by molecular methods. Experimental infection showed that DWV-B significantly reduced colony vigor and productivity. This suggests that effective Varroa management is essential. Because this can prevent virus transmission and maintain the health of honey bee colonies.
Keywords
Apis mellifera
deformed wing virus
honey bees
molecular diagnosis
pollen
Abbott, W. S. (1925). A method of computing the effectiveness of an insecticide. Journal of Economic Entomology, 18(2), 265–267. https://doi.org/10.1093/jee/18.2.265a
Al-Obaydi, W. H., & Shaher, K. W. (2025). Study of the effect of bee strain on the temperature and humidity of the brood area during summer and winter. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 1449(1), Article 012058. https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/1449/1/012058
Amiri, E., Meixner, M., Büchler, R., & Kryger, P. (2014). Chronic bee paralysis virus in honeybee queens: Evaluating susceptibility and infection routes. Viruses, 6(3), 1188–1201. https://doi.org/10.3390/v6031188
Brettell, L. E., Mordecai, G. J., Schroeder, D. C., Jones, I. M., da Silva, J. R., Vicente-Rubiano, M., & Martin, S. J. (2017). A comparison of deformed wing virus in deformed and asymptomatic honey bees. Insects, 8(1), Article 28. https://doi.org/10.3390/insects8010028
Crane, E. (1999). Recent research on the world history of beekeeping. Bee World, 80(4), 174–186. https://doi.org/10.1080/0005772X.1999.11099453
De Jong, D., De Jong, P. H., & Gonçalves, L. S. (1982). Weight loss and other damage to developing worker honeybees from infestation with Varroa jacobsoni. Journal of Apicultural Research, 21(3), 165–167. https://doi.org/10.1080/00218839.1982.11100535
Dittes, J., Aupperle-Lellbach, H., Schäfer, M. O., Mülling, C. K. W., & Emmerich, I. U. (2020). Veterinary diagnostic approach of common virus diseases in adult honeybees. Veterinary Sciences, 7(4), Article 159. https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci7040159
Kralj, J., & Fuchs, S. (2006). Parasitic Varroa destructor mites influence flight duration and homing ability of infested Apis mellifera foragers. Apidologie, 37(5), 577–587. https://doi.org/10.1051/apido:2006040
Lester, P. J., Felden, A., Baty, J. W., Bulgarella, M., Haywood, J., Mortensen, A. N., Remnant, E. J., & Smeele, Z. E. (2022). Viral communities in the parasite Varroa destructor and in colonies of their honey bee host (Apis mellifera) in New Zealand. Scientific Reports, 12(1), Article 8809. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-12888-w
Majtan, J., Bucekova, M., Kafantaris, I., Szweda, P., Hammer, K., & Mossialos, D. (2021). Honey antibacterial activity: A neglected aspect of honey quality assurance as functional food. Trends in Food Science & Technology, 118(Part B), 870–886. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tifs.2021.11.012
McMenamin, A. J., & Flenniken, M. L. (2018). Recently identified bee viruses and their impact on bee pollinators. Current Opinion in Insect Science, 26, 120–129. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cois.2018.02.009
Peña-Chora, G., Toledo-Hernández, E., Sotelo-Leyva, C., Damian-Blanco, P., Villanueva-Flores, A. G., Alvarez-Fitz, P., … & Ortega-Acosta, S. Á. (2023). Presence and distribution of pests and diseases of Apis mellifera (Hymenoptera: Apidae) in Mexico: A review. The European Zoological Journal, 90(1), 224–236. https://doi.org/10.1080/24750263.2023.2182920
Posada-Florez, F., Sonenshine, D. E., Egekwu, N. I., Rice, C., Lupitskyy, R., & Cook, S. C. (2019). Insights into the metabolism and behaviour of Varroa destructor mites from analysis of their waste excretions. Parasitology, 146(4), 527–532. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0031182018001762
Ramsey, S. D., Ochoa, R., Bauchan, G., Gulbronson, C., Mowery, J. D., Cohen, A., Lim, D., Joklik, J., Cicero, J. M., Ellis, J. D., Hawthorne, D., & vanEngelsdorp, D. (2019). Varroa destructor feeds primarily on honey bee fat body tissue and not hemolymph. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 116(5), 1792–1801. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1818371116
Rodrigues De Miranda, J. (2008). Diagnostic techniques for virus detection in honey bees. In Virology and the honey bee (pp. 121–232). Office for Official Publications of the European Communities.
Schittny, D., Yañez, O., & Neumann, P. (2020). Honey bee virus transmission via hive products. Veterinary Sciences, 7(3), Article 96. https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci7030096
Shumkova, R., Neov, B., Sirakova, D., Georgieva, A., Gadjev, D., Teofanova, D., Radoslavov, G., Bouga, M., & Hristov, P. (2018). Molecular detection and phylogenetic assessment of six honeybee viruses in Apis mellifera L. colonies in Bulgaria. PeerJ, 6, Article e5077. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.5077
Simone-Finstrom, M., Aronstein, K., Goblirsch, M., Rinkevich, F., & de Guzman, L. (2018). Gamma irradiation inactivates honey bee fungal, microsporidian, and viral pathogens and parasites. Journal of Invertebrate Pathology, 153, 57–64. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jip.2018.02.011
Vanengelsdorp, D., Evans, J. D., Saegerman, C., Mullin, C., Haubruge, E., Nguyen, B. K., Frazier, M., Frazier, J., Cox-Foster, D., Chen, Y., Underwood, R., Tarpy, D. R., & Pettis, J. S. (2009). Colony collapse disorder: A descriptive study. PLoS ONE, 4(8), Article e6481. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0006481
Zdańska, D., Rzeżutka, A., & Pohorecka, K. (2026). Development of multiplex RT-PCR assays containing an internal amplification control for the detection of dicistro-, iflaviruses and CBPV in honey bees. Part 1 – Assays design and optimization. Veterinary Research Communications, 50(2), Article 106. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11259-025-11012-3
Agricultural Biotechnology Journal

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 22 August 2026