Two viruses from adult honey bees ( Apis mellifera Linnaeus)

Abstract

Two viruses were isolated from honey bees. When fed to, sprayed on, or injected into healthy bees either virus made the bees become trembly within a few days, but whereas bees infected with one virus died quickly (acute “paralysis”), bees infected with the other survived for several days after first showing symptoms (chronic “paralysis”). Purified preparations of acute bee paralysis virus (ABPV) contained isometric particles about 28 mμ in diameter, whereas those of chronic bee paralysis virus (CBPV) contained particles of irregular shape about 27 × 45 mμ. Both viruses occurred in apparently healthy bees, but only CBPV particles were numerous in diseased bees from colonies naturally affected with the disease called “bee paralysis.” On inoculation to healthy bees the symptoms caused by CBPV resembled those of the naturally occurring disease more than did those caused by ABPV.