Preliminary study of Lake Sinai virus in honey bee samples from İzmir and Muğla, Türkiye

Lake Sinai virus (LSV) is an RNA virus that affects honey bee health and is considered a significant contributor to colony losses. In this study, the prevalence of LSV was investigated in adult bees and capped broods collected from 32 apiaries in İzmir and Muğla, Türkiye. Using RT-PCR, LSV was detected in 68.7% of adult bees and 46.8% of capped broods, indicating a widespread presence in the studied regions. Phylogenetic analysis was conducted to determine the genetic diversity of LSV strains. In the variant typing study, LSV-2 was the most commonly detected variant, while LSV-4 was identified at a lower frequency. However, LSV-1, LSV-3, and LSV-5 were not detected in the analyzed samples. According to the phylogenetic analysis, high genetic heterogeneity was observed among LSV strains, with no distinct clustering by geographical distribution. These findings suggest that LSV is prevalent in Türkiye and exhibits genetic diversity independent of its location. This study provides RdRp-based phylogenetic data on honey bee LSV from Türkiye, contributing valuable molecular evidence to ongoing efforts to understand LSV distribution and evolution. Further research is necessary to assess the pathogenicity of different LSV variants and their potential impact on colony health.