Chronic Bee Paralyze Virus (CBPV)

General information

Chronic bee paralysis virus is an RNA virus which, so far, cannot be assigned to any family. This virus affects adult bees. Infected animals are unable to fly, they crawl on the ground, often have a bloated abdomen and diarrhoea; the affected bees die 5 - 10 days after the onset of the disease. Loss of hair and an asymptomatic progression are possible. Transmission occurs through bee faeces. Whether the Varroa mite is involved in spreading or in worsening the course of the disease is debatable. There are often self-healing processes in the colonies. If the progress is particularly severe, an artificial swarm can be created with brood hatched in an incubator.