It’s been a while since we’ve had anything on the problem of Colony Collapse Disorder, which has been causing bee colonies to die off in the US and some European countries. There’s been a lot of speculation as to its cause, everything from fungus to viruses to cell phones, but no definitive cause (or treatment) has been found.

The latest clue to the problem is the identification of a virus now called Israeli Acute Paralysis Virus (IAPV). The virus was discovered by researchers at Hebrew University - I would imagine having somewhat complicated feelings about naming the virus which may be killing off honeybees after yourself.

Apparently IAPV causes bees to become paralyzed and die. Significantly, Australian bees do not seem to be susceptible to IAPV, and in fact there have been no cases of Colony Collapse Disorder reported in Australia.

I’m glad that researchers are taking CCD seriously. It would be a shame, and not just because certain fruits and vegetables might become scarce or more expensive, if the bees were to die off.

Via: Scientists find clue in mystery of the vanishing bees - CNN.com
[tags]bees, colony collapse disorder, australia, israeli acute paralysis virus, iapv[/tags]

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