In the face of deadly American foulbrood's (AFB) outbreaks, beekeepers across the US may soon be able to access bee vaccines that could save and protect their hives.
First Bee Vaccine To Combat American Foulbrood
The USDA has now conditionally approved the first bee vaccine developed by Dalan Animal Health, as reported by USA Today. Such vaccinations will be executed with hopes to inhibit the further devastation of honeybees, whose pollination plays a vital role in food supply all over the world, according to CNET.
According to Science Alert, the vaccine was developed by biotechnology firm Dalan Animal Health. It was specifically made to combat AFB, which is an infectious disease that is brought about by the bacterium Paenibacillus larvae. The vaccine may be available this year.
Last 2022, Dalan funded a trial that was placebo-controlled in order to gauge the efficacy and safety of the vaccine. Aside from protecting the queen bee and the workers from succumbing to AFB, the vaccine was also seen to facilitate immunity among the succeeding generations by operating within the ovaries of the royalty.
The bee vaccine will soon be integrated into the worker bees' feeds. It is also set to be transferred into the royal jelly that the queen bee eats.
Science Alert reports that the USDA will offer a conditional license worth two years for the bee vaccine developed by Dalan. However, chances are that the treatment usage will still be available after this period passes.
In the coming years, Dalan will be providing limited vaccines to US-based beekeepers. If things go well, beekeepers may likely receive direct access to the said vaccine.
Beeker and California State Beekeepers Association board member Trevor Tauzer expresses how this is an exciting step for beekeepers who depend on antibiotic treatments, which have narrowed effectiveness and which demand resources. Tauzer notes that if prevention can be infected, expensive treatments can be avoided. This can also enable beekeepers to focus their attention on other factors of bee health.
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American Foulbrood
According to Science Alert, this pathogen is known to have a singular host, which is the honey bee larvae.
Before the development of vaccination, AFB was thought to be incurable. CNET also reports that the primary approach to eliminate the condition was to incinerate the hives that are affected by such infections. This meant that beekeepers had to burn their hives to kill the bees that are infected and prevent the further spread of the condition.
Honeybee Population Decline
According to Greenpeace, the population of honeybees have plummeted by around 90% since the year 1962. This is due to several factors, including destructive pesticides, farming methodologies, climate change, and other contributors. This poses a serious issue to the present-day world.
Science Alert notes how such a drastic plummet does not just make the natural ecosystems vulnerable; it also puts one-third of the world's food supply and basic nutrition at risk.
RELATED ARTICLE: How Long Do Bees Live? Study Shows That a Honey Bee's Life Expectancy Dropped by Half Since the 1970s
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