First detection of Lake Sinai virus in honeybees (Apis mellifera) and wild arthropods in Japan

Yuko Kitamura; Tetsuo Asai

doi:10.1292/jvms.21-0466

First detection of Lake Sinai virus in honeybees (Apis mellifera) and wild arthropods in Japan

J Vet Med Sci. 2022 Mar 3;84(3):346-349. doi: 10.1292/jvms.21-0466. Epub 2022 Jan 11.

Authors

Yuko Kitamura^{1

2}, Tetsuo Asai^{1

3}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Applied Veterinary Science, The United Graduate School of Veterinary Sciences, Gifu University, Gifu, Japan.
² Gifu Prefectural Chuo Livestock Hygiene Service Center, Gifu, Japan.
³ Education and Research Center for Food Animal Health, Gifu University (GeFAH), Gifu, Japan.

Abstract

Lake Sinai virus (LSV), an RNA virus, is suspected to be associated with poor health in honeybees (Apis mellifera). We examined LSV in 26 specimens of healthy honeybees and 44 specimens of wild arthropods in the Gifu Prefecture, Japan. LSV was found more frequently in honeybee specimens (11/26, 42.3%) than in wild arthropod specimens (1/44, 2.3%) (P<0.01). Phylogenetic and nucleotide sequence analysis revealed two lineages: LSV3 in honeybees, and LSV4 in both honeybees and wild arthropods. To our knowledge, this is the first report of LSV prevalence in honeybees and wild arthropods in Japan.

Keywords: Apis mellifera; Gifu; Japan; Lake Sinai virus; arthropod.

MeSH terms

Animals
Arthropods* / virology
Bees / virology*
Japan / epidemiology
Phylogeny
Prevalence
RNA Viruses* / genetics
RNA Viruses* / isolation & purification