Archives of Current Research International

Honey bees are indispensable pollinators that play a crucial role in sustaining global agriculture, biodiversity and ecosystem stability; however, their populations are experiencing significant declines due to a complex interplay of biotic and abiotic stressors, including viral pathogens, bacterial infections, parasitic mites such as Varroa destructor, pesticide exposure and environmental changes. Among these factors, infectious diseases have emerged as a major driver of colony losses, necessitating the development of innovative and sustainable disease management strategies beyond conventional chemical and antibiotic-based approaches, which are increasingly limited by resistance development and ecological concerns. In this context, recent advances in insect immunology have led to the emergence of vaccine-like strategies for honey bees, despite their lack of classical adaptive immunity. These approaches are primarily based on innate immune priming, RNA interference (RNAi)-mediated antiviral defense and social immunity mechanisms that operate at the colony level. This review synthesizes current research on honey bee vaccines, with a particular focus on RNAi-based therapeutics, oral vaccination strategies, queen-mediated transgenerational immune priming (TGIP) and microbiome-mediated delivery systems. RNAi has demonstrated significant potential in suppressing viral pathogens such as Deformed Wing Virus (DWV) and Israeli Acute Paralysis Virus (IAPV) through sequence-specific degradation of viral RNA. Furthermore, the discovery of transgenerational immune priming mediated by vitellogenin and the role of royal jelly in transferring immune factors have provided a biological foundation for the development of oral vaccines capable of achieving colony-wide immunization. Advances in nanotechnology and symbiont-mediated RNA delivery have further enhanced the stability, efficiency, and scalability of these vaccine systems. From an applied entomological perspective, honey bee vaccines represent a transformative tool for improving colony health, enhancing pollination efficiency, and ensuring agricultural sustainability. These approaches offer environmentally safe alternatives to chemical treatments and can be integrated into holistic disease management programs.