Prof Giles Budge: Chronic bee paralysis: A re-emerging disease of the honey bee

Chronic bee paralysis is a serious disease of the honey bee that can lead to colony loss in 40% of cases. The disease is caused by a virus which is able to replicate in the nerves of the honey bee, leading to trembling and shaking symptoms. Infected bees die within 5-7 days after contracting the virus, causing mounds of dead bees at the colony entrance. Giles will discuss recent results that suggest chronic bee paralysis has reemerged across England and Wales over the last two decades, and will share the most recent results on this topic from the honey bee research team at Newcastle University.
Prof Giles Budge obtained his degree in Molecular Biology and Genetics from the University of East Anglia and his PhD in Molecular Plant Pathology from the University of Reading. He previously worked for Horticulture Research International, ADAS, Central Science Laboratory and Fera, before moving to Newcastle University in 2018 to set-up a pathology laboratory specialising in crop and bee health. Giles worked as the National Bee Unit research co-ordinator for 12 years, responsible for an applied programme of research. Research interests include combining experimental biology, molecular detection and modelling to improve understanding of disease epidemiology. Giles has provided expert evidence to government policy reviews surrounding pollinator health, is an independent science advisor to the Defra Bee Health Advisory Forum, and a Fellow of the Royal Entomological Society. Recently Giles has worked on projects to better understand chronic bee paralysis as well as working with the APHA NBU to track foulbrood sequence types and improve foulbrood surveillance across England & Wales.