First detection of Israeli acute paralysis virus (IAPV) in France, a dicistrovirus affecting honeybees (Apis mellifera).

Philippe Blanchard (1) , Frank Schurr (1) , Olivier Celle (1) , Nicolas Cougoule (1) , Patrick Drajnudel (1) , Richard Thiéry (1) , Jean-Paul Faucon (1) , Magali Ribière (1)

1 LERPRA - Laboratoire d'études et de recherches sur les petits ruminants et les abeilles

Bee samples were collected in French apiaries that displayed severe losses and mortality during the winter (from November 2007 to March 2008). They were screened for the presence of Israeli acute paralysis virus (IAPV) by using RT-PCR. Five out of 35 surveyed apiaries, located in two different geographical areas, were found positive. This represents the first reported detection of IAPV in France. The specificity of the PCR products was checked by sequencing. The phylogenetic analysis showed that French isolates of IAPV were closely related to a cluster including American and Australian isolates. Nevertheless, most of American isolates previously reported to be associated to Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) and an Israeli isolate first isolated in 2004 from dead bees were included in another cluster. Since IAPV was detected in only 14% of the affected apiaries, it was not possible to establish a causal link between IAPV and the severe winter losses that occurred.

Mots clés: Israeli acute paralysis virus (IAPV); RT-PCR detection; Winter losses; Apis mellifera

Domaines: Médecine vétérinaire et santé animale; Virologie

Philippe Blanchard, Frank Schurr, Olivier Celle, Nicolas Cougoule, Patrick Drajnudel, et al.. First detection of Israeli acute paralysis virus (IAPV) in France, a dicistrovirus affecting honeybees (Apis mellifera).. Journal of Invertebrate Pathology, 2008, 99 (3), pp.348-50. ⟨10.1016/j.jip.2008.07.006⟩. ⟨hal-00346243⟩