Honey Bee-Infecting Plant Virus with Implications on Honey Bee Colony Health

Honey bees are eusocial insects that are commercially managed to provide pollination services for agricultural crops. Recent increased losses of honey bee colonies (averaging 32% annually since 2006) are associated with the incidence and abundance of pathogens. In their study in mBio, J. L. Li et al. [mBio 5(1): e00898-13, 2014, doi: 10.1128/mBio.00898-13] share their discovery that a plant virus, tobacco ring spot virus (TRSV), replicates in honey bees and that the prevalence of this virus was high in weak colonies. Their findings increase our understanding of the role of viruses in honey bee colony losses and underscore the importance of surveying for new and/or emerging viruses in honey bees. Furthermore, their findings will pique the interest of virologists and biologists across all disciplines. The discovery that a plant virus (TRSV) replicates, spreads, and negatively affects the health of an insect host will lead to additional studies on the mechanisms of host-specific adaptation and the role of cross-kingdom infections in the transmission of this virus.