Question at position 13 You are conducting a study on pathogen spillover at a wildflower meadow. After analyzing samples, you find that 78% of wild bees visiting flowers previously visited by honey bees carry honey bee-specific pathogens. What is the most likely mode of transmission?Pheromones attracting pathogens to wild beesDirect contact between honey bees and wild beesAirborne transmission through sporesPathogen spillover occurring on shared flowers单项选择题
A
Pheromones attracting pathogens to wild bees
B
Direct contact between honey bees and wild bees
C
Airborne transmission through spores
D
Pathogen spillover occurring on shared flowers

Question

Question at position 13 You are conducting a study on pathogen spillover at a wildflower meadow. After analyzing samples, you find that 78% of wild bees visiting flowers previously visited by honey bees carry honey bee-specific pathogens. What is the most likely mode of transmission?Pheromones attracting pathogens to wild beesDirect contact between honey bees and wild beesAirborne transmission through sporesPathogen spillover occurring on shared flowers单项选择题

A

Pheromones attracting pathogens to wild bees

B

Direct contact between honey bees and wild bees

C

Airborne transmission through spores

D

Pathogen spillover occurring on shared flowers

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

The scenario describes a high proportion of wild bees carrying honey bee–specific pathogens after visiting flowers that were previously visited by honey bees, which points to a transmission route mediated by the shared floral resource itself.
Option 1: 'Pheromones attracting pathogens to wild bees' suggests chemical cues lure pathogens directly to wild bees. Pathogens typically do not respond to host pheromones in this way, and the data emphasize a shared environment (flowers) rather than chemical attraction as the mechanism, making this explanation unlikely.
Option 2: 'Direct contact between honey bees and wild bees' would imply physical contact as the primary conduit. While some contact could occur, the observed pattern—pathogen presence linked to shared flowers—better fits an environmental intermediary rather than frequent direct encounters between species.
Option 3: 'Airborne transmission through spores' would require spores to travel through the air to colonies or individuals not in close proximity, which is less consistent with a scenario centered on flowers as the contact point for multiple visits from different bee species rather than aerosol spread.
Option 4: 'Pathogen spillover occurring on shared flowers' correctly reflects that the shared floral resource serves as a common substrate where pathogens shed by honey bees can be picked up by wild bees visiting the same flowers, producing the observed high carryover rate.
In sum, the data align with an indirect transmission pathway via shared flowers acting as a medium for pathogen transfer between bee species, rather than direct contact, chemical attraction, or airborne spread.