National Baseline Project
The National Virus Baseline Project is a key initiative of the Transition to Management Plan (T2M) and designed to strengthen and future-proof Australia’s honey bee and pollination-dependent industries.
Results summary
The National Bee Virus Baselining Project has now been completed. During this project 1209 hives had bees collected with samples coming proportionally from all states and territories. Eight viruses were tested across 5,769 pools of samples. Massive thanks to the beekeepers who submitted bees, individual results will be provided to the jurisdictions to be shared with those who submitted samples.
Testing was undertaken for 3 exotic virus groups (Deformed Wing Virus – DWV, Acute Bee Paralysis virus - ABPV, and Slow Bee Paralysis Virus - SBPV) as well as the ‘endemic’ viruses (or those that may be likely to be present in Australia). The ‘endemic’ viruses included Sac-brood Virus – SBV, Lake Sinai Virus – LSV, Black Queen cell virus – BQCV, Israeli Acute Paralysis Virus – IAPV, Kashmir Bee Virus - KBV and the recently recognised rhabdoviruses – Apis mellifera rhabdoviruses 1 &2 – AMR1, AMR2.
Overall, there was no evidence of the major exotic viruses (the DWV complex, SBPVs and ABPV). In contrast, there was a very high prevalence of infection with several of the endemic viruses that had been detected in Australia in previous studies (Roberts et al., 2015). See Figure 1.
Figure 1. National prevalence of all honey bee viruses as a proportion of all sample pools that were tested.
What viruses are we testing for?
There are 8 viruses being tested for in the National Baselining Project.
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Slow Bee Paralysis Virus (SBPV H/R) causes paralysis in the front two pairs of legs of adult bees eventually killing its hosts. This virus is associated with Varroa.es here
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Acute Bee Paralysis Virus (ABPV) is characterised by symptoms such as bloated abdomens, trembling wings, and an inability to fly, leading to sudden death. This virus is associated with Varroa.
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Deformed Wing Virus (DWV A/B) can result in bees having smaller bodies, twisted wings, bloated abdomens and discolouration. It is considered the most important pathogen of honeybees, leading to the majority of colony losses globally. This virus is associated with Varroa.
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Apis mellifera rhabdovirus impacts are currently unknown.
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BQCV – Black Queen Cell Virus causes mortality in queen bee pupae, with dead larvae turning yellow and then brown-black.
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SBV – Sacbrood Virus causes an uneven brood pattern with discoloured, sunken or perforated cappings scattered throughout the brood.
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Lake Sinai Viruses infect adult bees and may reduce bee lifespan.
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Israeli Acute Paralysis Virus appears similarly to ABPV, that is shivering bees, unable to fly. They may have darkened discoloured bodies and hair loss, be disorientated or have rigid paralysis. This virus is associated with Varroa.
What is it?
The project involves undertaking a nation-wide honey bee virus survey in order to establish an existing baseline for endemic bee viruses.
The data collected will be used to build a national knowledge base and provide continued confidence that exotic viruses remain absent from our shores.
Results from future collections will be measured against the baseline data captured from this project.
Why is it important?
The project is considered particularly important as overseas experiences have shown that heavy Varroa mite infestation can increase the levels of virus-related disease in bee colonies.
What does the project involve?
The National Virus Baselining Project involves collecting samples of bees from every state and territory before they are ultimately sent to the Elizabeth Macarthur Agriculture Institute (EMAI) for testing. Here the samples will be compared against bees from different environments, geographic distribution and genetic stock from across the country.
It is proposed that the number of samples collected be proportional to the number of registered beekeepers in each state and territory.
Varroa Development Officers (VDOs) and trained staff from the National Varroa Mite Management Program (NVMMP) will work with beekeepers in target areas to collect the bee samples.
All bee sample collections are anticipated to be completed by March 2025.
How will the samples be collected?
The approach for the collection of samples will vary by state / territory. In some cases NVMMP staff will carry out the collection of individual samples from hives. In other states we will be calling for beekeepers to volunteer to collect samples from their hives and send them to a centralised collection point.
Participation in the project is purely voluntary, however beekeepers are encouraged to consider the offer of participation if approached by staff from the NVMMP.
Should a beekeeper agree to participate in the project, the sample collected will be a minimum of either:
100 bees from each of three (3) separate hives if the beekeeper has less than 2,000 hives, or
100 bees from each of six (6) separate hives if the beekeeper has more than 2,000 hives.
NVMMP Officers will provide participating beekeepers with greater details of the collection procedure.
There will be no cost to participating beekeepers with all collection equipment to be provided by the NVMMP. There will also be no financial payment or reimbursement for project participants.
Results of the project will be published on completion with any public information to remain non-identifiable.
The National Virus Baselining Project is organised and managed by the by the National Varroa Mite Management Program.
How can I get involved?
The baseline survey has now been completed. We would like to extend our thanks to all beekeepers who were involved.