Molecular diagnosis of chronic bee paralysis virus infection

A new RT-PCR test was developed for the diagnosis of chronic bee paralysis virus (CBPV) infection. Used in parallel with an experimental infection test, the RT-PCR test was less fastidious and allowed the detection of latent CBPV infection in colonies. The new test is based on the fact that clinical CBPV infections (but not latent infections) yield a high viral antigen load that can be easily revealed using the agarose gel immunodiffusion (AGID) test. The combination of the AGID and the RT-PCR tests allowed us to characterise the CBPV status of hives from various apiaries in France as non infected, latently infected or clinically infected. The RT-PCR test proved highly sensitive for detecting inapparent infections. It may be a useful tool for studying the epidemiology of the disease.