Wolbachia , a common vertically transmitted symbiont, can protect insects against viral infection and prevent mosquitoes from transmitting viral pathogens. For this reason, Wolbachia- infected mosquitoes are being released to prevent the transmission of dengue and other arboviruses. An important question for the long-term success of these programmes is whether viruses can evolve to escape the antiviral effects of Wolbachia. We have found that Wolbachia altered the outcome of competition between strains of the DCV virus in Drosophila. However, Wolbachia still effectively blocked the virus genotypes that were favoured in the presence of the symbiont. We conclude that Wolbachia did cause an evolutionary response in viruses, but this has little or no impact on the effectiveness of virus blocking.

In some plants and animals, beneficial microbes mediate host immune response against pathogens, including by serving as defensive symbionts that produce antimicrobial compounds. Defensive symbionts are known in several insects, including some leaf-cutter ants where antifungal-producing Actinobacteria help protect the fungal mutualist of the ants from specialized mycoparasites.

The parameters for assessing the quality of honey produced by Apis mellifera are standardized worldwide. The physicochemical properties of honey might vary extensively due to factors such as the geographical area where it was produced and the season in which it was harvested. Little information is available on variations in honey quality among different harvest periods in tropical areas, and particularly in neotropical dry forests. This study describes variations in seventeen physicochemical parameters and the pollen diversity of honey harvested from beehives during the dry season in February, March, and April 2021, in the dry arc of Panama. Potassium is the most abundant mineral in honey samples, and its concentration increases during the harvest period from February to April. A PCA analysis showed significant differences among the samples collected during different harvest periods. The pollen diversity also differs among honey samples from February compared with March and April. The results indicate that climatic conditions may play an important role in the quality of honey produced in the dry arc of Panama. Furthermore, these results might be useful for establishing quality-control parameters of bee honey produced in Panama in support of beekeeping activities in seasonal wet–dry areas of the tropics.

Metagenomic studies have demonstrated that viruses are extremely diverse and abundant in insects, but the difficulty of isolating them means little is known about the biology of these newly discovered viruses. To overcome this challenge in Drosophila, we created a cell line that was more permissive to infection and detected novel viruses by the presence of double-stranded RNA. We demonstrate the utility of these tools by isolating La Jolla virus (LJV) and Newfield virus (NFV) from several wild Drosophila populations. These viruses have different potential host ranges, with distinct abilities to replicate in five Drosophila species. Similarly, in some species they cause high mortality and in others they are comparatively benign. In three species, NFV but not LJV caused large declines in female fecundity. This sterilization effect was associated with differences in tissue tropism, as NFV but not LJV was able to infect Drosophila melanogaster follicular epithelium and induce follicular degeneration in the ovary. We saw a similar effect in the invasive pest of fruit crops Drosophila suzukii, where oral infection with NFV caused reductions in the fecundity, suggesting it has potential as a biocontrol agent. In conclusion, a simple protocol allowed us to isolate new viruses and demonstrate that viruses identified by metagenomics have a large effect on the fitness of the model organism D. melanogaster and related species.

Wolbachiais a common endosymbiont that can protect insects against viral pathogens. However, whether the antiviral effects ofWolbachiahave a significant effect on fitness remains unclear. We have investigated the interaction betweenDrosophila melanogaster, Wolbachiaand two viruses that we recently isolated from wild flies, La Jolla virus (LJV;Iflaviridae) and Newfield virus (NFV;Permutotetraviridae). Flies infected with these viruses have increased mortality rates, and NFV partially sterilizes females. These effects on fitness were reduced inWolbachia-infected flies, and this was associated with reduced viral titres. However,Wolbachiaalone also reduces survival, and under our experimental conditions these costs of the symbiont can outweigh the benefits of antiviral protection. In contrast, protection against the sterilizing effect of NFV leads to a net benefit ofWolbachiainfection after exposure to the virus. These results support the hypothesis thatWolbachiais an important defense against the natural pathogens ofD. melanogaster.Furthermore, by reducing the cost ofWolbachiainfection, the antiviral effects ofWolbachiamay aid its invasion into populations and help explain why it is so common in nature.

Early in the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, many national public health authorities implemented non-pharmaceutical interventions to mitigate disease outbreaks. Panamá established mandatory mask use two months after its first documented case. Initial compliance was high, but diverse masks were used in public areas. We studied behavioral dynamics of mask use through the first two COVID-19 waves in Panama, to improve the implementation of effective, low-cost public health containment measures when populations are exposed to novel air-borne pathogens. Mask use behavior was recorded from pedestrians in four Panamanian populations (August to December 2020). We recorded facial coverings and if used, the type of mask, and gender and estimated age of the wearer. Our results showed that people were highly compliant (>95%) with mask mandates and demonstrated important population-level behaviors: (1) decreasing use of cloth masks over time, and increasing use of surgical masks; (2) mask use was 3-fold lower in suburban neighborhoods than other public areas and (3) young people were least likely to wear masks. Results help focus on highly effective, low-cost, public health interventions for managing and controlling a pandemic. Considerations of behavioral preferences for different masks, relative to pricing and availability, are essential for optimizing public health policies. Policies to increase the availability of effective masks, and behavioral nudges to increase acceptance, and to facilitate mask usage, during the ongoing SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, and for future pandemics of respiratory pathogens, are key tools, especially for nations lagging in access to expensive vaccines and pharmacological approaches.