The US Government Approves the World's First Vaccine for Honey Bees
American foulbrood
In a monumental achievement that may potentially help prevent the widespread devastation caused by honeybee disease, the US government has granted conditional approval for Dalan Animal Health's world-first vaccine. This innovative vaccine is set to give beekeepers an additional tool in their fight against American foulbrood - boosting hopes for mitigating the damage done to vital pollination colonies.
Annette Kleiser, CEO of Dalan Animal Health, announced with enthusiasm that their new vaccine is set to revolutionize worldwide food production by protecting honeybees. "We are excited to offer a game-changing approach to how we care for insects," she said.
With the newly developed vaccine, commercial beekeepers can now protect their hives from the debilitating and fatal effects of foulbrood. Caused by Paenibacillus larvae bacteria, this disease has been found in as much as 25% of US hives, leaving little choice for those affected but to eradicate all infected colonies and medicate with antibiotics. The recent creation of a vaccine is an immense relief for beekeepers everywhere who are faced with combating this otherwise incurable affliction.
Keith Delaplane, an entomologist at the University of Georgia partnering with Dalan for vaccine development, noted that beekeepers could easily identify this condition as it reduces larvae to a brown gooey mess accompanied by its putrid smell.
By adding a portion of the bacteria to the royal jelly fed by worker bees to the queen, an immunological effect is produced on bee larvae as they hatch. This has been found through studies conducted by Dalan to reduce mortality rates from foulbrood significantly. Thus, this vaccine can be used effectively in honeybee colonies for protection against such diseases.
Delaplane explained that the ideal situation would be to feed queens a vaccine-fortified cocktail within their queen candy - an easily digestible substance provided to them while in transit. The selling point? A guarantee of “fully vaccinated queens” for beekeepers!
Originally hailing from the United States, American foulbrood has now spread across the globe. According to Dalan's research, this breakthrough could potentially be leveraged in order to develop vaccines for other bee-related diseases such as European foulbrood.
As honeybees have become industrialized, moved around and used to pollinate agricultural products, they are now subjected to a variety of illnesses that can decimate entire colonies. Beekeepers must provide significant interventions in order for the population of hives to remain stable. The US is heavily reliant on managed bee colonies for food production - transporting beehives all over the country for crops such as almonds or blueberries.
Alarmingly, many wild bee species are on the decline due to habitat loss, pesticide utilisation and the severity of climate change. This is a cause for significant concern - not just because it impacts our ecosystems and food security but also affects human health. To tackle this global issue in insect numbers, urgent action is required.
