Some hopeful news has come from the United States about the future of bees, vital pollinator insects that often fall victim to contagious diseases. The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has given conditional approval for the first-ever vaccine for bees.
The vaccine was developed by US biotechnology company Dalan Animal Health and is manufactured by Diamond Animal Health. It provides immunity to honeybees against American foulbrood, a highly aggressive and contagious disease. In simple terms, a dead version of the bacteria responsible for the disease (Paenibacillus larvae) is incorporated into the royal jelly that worker bees feed to the queen. Thus, the vaccine is deposited in the queen’s ovaries and immunity is transmitted to the developing larvae.
American foulbrood, as the name suggests, was first identified and studied in the United States. However, it is now widespread throughout the world. It’s a bacterial disease that affects honeybee larvae, especially those just one or two days old, which take on a dark colour and a viscous consistency, before dying and leaving the walls of the cell covered in highly contagious dark scales.
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