Deformed wing virus of honey bees is inactivated by cold plasma ionized hydrogen peroxide

Deformed wing virus (DWV) is a widespread pathogen of Apis mellifera honey bees, and considered major causative factor for the collapse infected bee colonies. DWV can be horizontally transmitted among bees through various oral routes, including via food sharing by interactions with viral-contaminated solid hive substrates. Cold plasma ionized hydrogen peroxide (iHP) used extensively production, processing medical industries to clean surfaces microbial contaminants. In this study, we investigated use iHP inactivate particles in situ on substrate. iHP-treated sources were ~10 5 -fold less infectious when injected into naïve pupae compared receiving no treatment, matching controls containing DWV. treatment also greatly reduced incidence overt infections (i.e., having >10 9 copies DWV). The level inactivation achieved was higher than other means viral such as gamma irradiation, likely simpler safer. Treatment contaminated substrates iHP, even present, may an effective way decrease impacts infection bees.