The virus causes paralysis in the front two pairs of legs of adult bees eventually killing its hosts.

[3] As bees and silkworms are of great economic and biological importance, the virus is the subject of ongoing research.

The virus has an "... icosahedral capsid formed from sixty copies of three proteins which are common to picornaviruses.

Though it was not identified, it is expected that a viral genome-linked protein, involved in stability, replication, and translation, would be bound to the 5' end.

[5] Furthermore, it has been previously shown that picornaviruses enter the host cell membrane through the use of liposomes, however, SBPV is not myristoylated.

The virus has a low natural prevalence across large parts of Europe, but can be propagated in bee colonies with varying levels of Varroa infestations.