Virucides in apiculture: persistence of surrogate enterovirus under simulated field conditions

BACKGROUND Honeybee viruses have been recognized as being among the most important factors leading to colony losses worldwide. Colony food and faeces are regarded as possible sources of infectious viruses able to contaminate the environment and equipment of apiaries. Thus, methods for elimination of viruses are required. No cell culture assay for testing the effect of disinfectants on honeybee viruses is yet available. Therefore, surrogate virus was employed for testing of the efficacy of iodophor‐ and peracetic acid‐based disinfectants in combination with six organic contaminants at +6 °C and +22 °C. Moreover, we evaluated the persistence of the surrogate in honey at +6 °C, +22 °C, and +50 °C. RESULTS Iodophor‐based disinfectant showed a maximum reduction of virus titre of 3.4 log 10 . Peracetic acid reduced the titre (≥4 log 10 ) only at 22 °C and without yeast extract/bovine serum albumin. After 25 days of incubation of the virus − honey mix, no decrease of virus titre was observed at +6 °C, whereas a significant reduction (3.5 log 10 ) was found at +50 °C already after 1 day. CONCLUSIONS Both tested disinfectants can serve as appropriate virucides in apiaries. The effect of peracetic acid significantly depended on temperature and organic contaminants. The iodophor‐based disinfectant showed a stable antiviral effect at different temperatures and with different contaminants.