Chronic bee paralysis: a disease and a virus like no other?

Abstract

Chronic bee paralysis which was called Paralysis is a rather unusual disease caused by a rather unusual virus. In this review, we explore current knowledge of the disease and its etiological agent. Paralysis is the only common viral disease of adult bees whose symptoms include both behavioural and physiological modifications: trembling and hair loss. The disease often affects the strong colonies of an apiary and thousands of dead individuals are then observed in front of the hives. Two sets of symptoms have traditionally been described in the existing literature, but nowadays we can define a general syndrome. The morphology of the Chronic bee paralysis virus (CBPV) particles and the multipartite organisation of the RNA genome are exceptional, as most honey bee viruses are picorna-like viruses belonging to the Iflavirus and Cripavirus genera with symmetric particles and monopartite positive, single-strand RNA genomes. CBPV is currently classified as an RNA virus but is not included in any family or genus. Although it shares several characteristics with viruses in the Nodaviridae and Tombusviridae families, it differs from previously known viruses according to the various demarcation criteria defined by the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV). Thus, it should be considered as the type species of a new group of positive-strand RNA viruses. The recent sequencing of the complete CBPV genome has opened the way for phylogenetic studies and development of new molecular tools able to detect variable isolates and to quantify genomic loads. This article considers the results of such recent detection tests but also previous studies including: (i) the distribution of CBPV infection within the bees and the hive, (ii) the way the virus spreads and its persistence in the colony environment, and (iii) geographical and seasonal distribution and impact of CBPV infections.