Abstract:  Kashmir bee virus (KBV), as an acute bee virus with high virulence, has been found to extensively infest Apis cerana and Apis mellifera around the world since it was isolated and identified in the 1970s. KBV spreads in honeybee colonies via both vertical and horizontal ways, and Varroa destructor plays an important role in this process, urging the continuous spreading of KBV’s distribution. In addition to honeybees, KBV can also infect bumblebees, wasps and other wild pollinators. Meanwhile, as a typical virus of Dicistroviridae, due to the high similarity in the molecular biology between KBV and acute bee paralysis virus (ABPV) and Israeli acute paralysis virus (IAPV) in the same family, chaos related to its epidemic investigation, detection, classification and other research also come one after another. Here, we reviewed the relevant studies of KBV over the last forty years, aiming to provide insights for further studying KBV and similar insect virus and to facilitate the healthy development of beekeeping.

Key words:  Kashmir bee virus')"> Kashmir bee virus, honeybees, Varroa destructor, colony health, parasite-pathogen-host interactions