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Journals / Türkiye Teknoloji ve Uygulamalı Bilimler Dergisi / 2025 / Cilt: 6 Sayı: Özel Sayı Özel Sayı

Varroa destructor and the Viruses It Carries

Varroa destructor ve Taşıdığı Virüsler

Mustafa Rüstemoğlu(ŞIRNAK ÜNİVERSİTESİ, ZİRAAT FAKÜLTESİ, BİTKİ KORUMA BÖLÜMÜ, BİTKİ KORUMA ANABİLİM DALI)0000-0002-1298-1702
Pages
34–51
Publication Date
2025-12-31
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AI Summary & Key Takeaways

AI Insight
⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

These findings indicate that Varroa is not only a vector but also a unique microhabitat hosting its own viral ecosystem.

📌 3 Key Takeaways

🎯
Objective & Hypothesis:Varroa destructor is one of the most destructive external parasites threatening the health of Apis mellifera colonies worldwide.
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Key Findings & Data:The host shift from Apis cerana to A. mellifera, along with the global spread of the Korean and Japan–Thailand haplotypes, has increased the mite’s virulence and reduced its genetic diversity.
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Conclusion & Impact:These findings indicate that Varroa is not only a vector but also a unique microhabitat hosting its own viral ecosystem.
🔬Design:Derleme
📍Scope:Comprehensive Sample
⚙️Variables:Varroa destructor · Apis mellifera · bal arısı virüsleri

Abstract

Varroa destructor is one of the most destructive external parasites threatening the health of Apis mellifera colonies worldwide. Feeding on the host’s fat body and hemolymph causes not only direct physiological damage but also triggers lethal secondary infections as Varroa serves as an efficient biological vector for numerous honey bee viruses. The host shift from Apis cerana to A. mellifera, along with the global spread of the Korean and Japan–Thailand haplotypes, has increased the mite’s virulence and reduced its genetic diversity. Among the transmitted pathogens, the Deformed Wing Virus (DWV) and its variants (DWV-A, DWV-B/VDV-1, DWV-C) are recognized as the main biotic factors driving colony collapse. In addition, Varroa contributes to the transmission and dissemination of other RNA viruses, including ABPV, IAPV, KBV, BQCV, and SBPV. Recent metagenomic analyses have identified mite-specific viruses such as Varroa destructor virus-2 (VDV-2), VDV-3, and Varroa destructor Macula-like virus (VdMLV), which replicate exclusively within the mite. These findings indicate that Varroa is not only a vector but also a unique microhabitat hosting its own viral ecosystem. The advent of next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies has enabled comprehensive characterization of Varroa and honey bee viromes. Unlike PCR-based assays that detect only target viruses, NGS-based approaches have allowed the full virome to be revealed, providing deeper insights into viral transmission mechanisms, evolution, and host–parasite interactions. Future controlled studies may clarify the potential of Varroa-specific viruses in biological control, providing an ecological complement to chemical acaricides.

Özet

Varroa destructor, dünya genelinde bal arısı (Apis mellifera) kolonilerinin sağlığını tehdit eden en yıkıcı dış parazittir. Parazitin konak yağ dokusu ve hemolenf üzerinde beslenmesi yalnızca doğrudan fizyolojik hasara yol açmakla kalmaz; aynı zamanda çok sayıda bal arısı virüsünün biyolojik vektörü olarak ölümcül ikincil enfeksiyonları da tetikler. Varroa’nın orijinal konağı olan Apis cerana’dan A. mellifera’ya geçişi ve özellikle Kore ile Japonya–Tayland haplotiplerinin küresel yayılımı, akarın virülansını artırmış ve genetik çeşitliliğini azaltmıştır. Taşıdığı patojenler arasında en yaygın ve yıkıcı olan Deforme Kanat Virüsü (DWV) ve varyantları (DWV-A, DWV-B/VDV-1, DWV-C), koloni çöküşlerinin başlıca biyotik nedenidir. Bunun yanı sıra Varroa, ABPV, IAPV, KBV, BQCV ve SBPV gibi diğer RNA virüslerinin de taşınmasında ve yayılımında önemli rol oynamaktadır. Son yıllarda metagenomik analizlerle, yalnızca bal arısından değil, doğrudan akarın kendisinden kaynaklanan Varroa destructor virus-2 (VDV-2), VDV-3 ve Varroa destructor Macula-like virus (VdMLV) gibi akar-spesifik virüsler tanımlanmıştır. Bu bulgular, Varroa’nın yalnızca bir vektör değil, aynı zamanda kendine özgü bir viral ekosisteme sahip mikrohabitat olduğunu göstermektedir. Yeni nesil dizileme (NGS) teknolojileri sayesinde Varroa ve bal arısı viromlarının kapsamlı bir şekilde araştırılması mümkün olmuştur. NGS tabanlı yöntemler, PCR temelli yaklaşımlarla yalnızca hedef virüslerin taranabildiği kısmi virom çalışmalarına kıyasla tüm viromun ortaya konulmasını sağlamıştır. Bu yöntemlerle virüslerin aktarım mekanizmaları, evrimi ve konak-parazit etkileşimleri daha iyi anlaşılmıştır. Gelecekte yapılacak kontrollü çalışmalar, Varroa’ya özgü virüslerin biyolojik mücadeledeki potansiyelini netleştirerek kimyasal akarisitlere ekolojik bir tamamlayıcı sağlayabilir.

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Cite This Article

Rüstemoğlu, M. (2025). Varroa destructor and the Viruses It Carries. Türkiye Teknoloji ve Uygulamalı Bilimler Dergisi, Cilt: 6 Sayı: Özel Sayı Özel Sayı, 34–51. https://doi.org/10.70562/tubid.1820131

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