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New Infectious Diseases Among Bees Threaten World’s Economies
Context:
The decline of insect pollinators, especially bees, is gaining attention due to their vital role in global agricultural productivity and nutritional security.
More in News:
While Western honey bees have been extensively studied, data on wild pollinators, particularly in biodiversity-rich regions like India, is limited. Studies show the following highlights:
- Wild vs. Managed Bees: Research indicates that wild bees are often more efficient pollinators than managed honey bees, highlighting the need for their conservation.
- Pathogen Load Study: A study conducted in Switzerland found that wild pollinators in shared habitats with honey bees had ten times higher pathogen loads, underscoring the risks of habitat overlap.
About the New Infectious Diseases Among Bees:
- Transmission: The virus spreads through the movement of bee colonies for pollination and honey production.
- Geographical Spread: A major outbreak in 1991-1992 devastated around 90% of Asiatic honeybee colonies in South India. It resurfaced in Telangana in 2021 and has been reported in China and Vietnam.
- Pathogen Spillover: Diseases like deformed wing virus and black queen virus can spill over from managed honeybees to wild pollinators, increasing their virulence.
How It Threatens the World’s Economies:
- Impact on Agriculture: Over 75% of food crops depend on pollinators, making their decline a direct threat to food production and security.
- Economic Consequences: The loss of pollinators could lead to decreased agricultural yields, affecting economies reliant on farming and food production.
Overview of Bee Diversity in India:
- Species Count: India is home to over 700 bee species, including four Indigenous honey bees:
- Asiatic Honey Bee (Apis cerana indica)
- Giant Rock Bee (Apis dorsata)
- Dwarf Honey Bee (Apis floraea)
- Stingless Bee (sp. Trigona)
- Introduction of Western Honey Bees: Western honey bees were introduced in India in 1983 to enhance honey production.
Threats from Infectious Diseases
- Thai Sacbrood Virus Outbreak:
- The virus reemerged in 2021 in Telangana and has been reported in other countries, including China and Vietnam.
- Impact on Bee Populations: Thai Sacbrood Virus (TSBV) primarily affects honeybee larvae, causing death and stunted colony growth. It poses a severe threat to Asiatic honeybees (Apis cerana indica) but is less harmful to western honeybees.
What Are the Challenges?
- Complex Disease Dynamics: Understanding how diseases spread between managed and wild bee populations is complicated by habitat loss and migration patterns.
- Potential for Spillover:
- Viruses may spill over from managed honey bees to wild pollinators, potentially mutating and returning to honey bees in a more virulent form.
- This spillover can severely affect both wild pollinators and managed honeybee health.
- Limited Data: There is a lack of comprehensive data on wild bee populations, particularly in biodiversity-rich areas like India.
- Habitat Loss: As natural habitats shrink, pollinators are forced into smaller areas, increasing competition for resources and the likelihood of disease transmission.
What Needs to Be Done and Way Forward
- Focused Research: There is a pressing need for dedicated research on viral threats affecting both managed and wild bee populations.
- Monitoring Managed Colonies: Regular surveillance of managed honeybee colonies can help control diseases and reduce transmission risks to wild populations.
- Ecological Understanding: A deeper understanding of pollinator ecology is essential for developing effective conservation strategies against climate change, habitat loss, and infectious diseases.
- Policy Development: Policymakers should prioritise research findings to create informed strategies that protect pollinator health and ensure agricultural sustainability.
