Produced by the American biotechnology company Dalan Animal Health, this vaccine was approved by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency in the fall of 2023. The new drug will have to be administered under veterinary supervision.
A disease that wreaks havoc
The American plague is a nightmare for many Canadian beekeepers. It is caused by the bacterium Pænibacillus larvæ, which attacks bee larvae and spreads rapidly.
Robert McBain, beekeeper and owner of Worker & Hive Bee Supply in Calgary, Alberta, says that bacteria can be transmitted from one colony to another even if they are miles apart.
American plague spores lodge in beekeepers’ equipment and beeswax and can survive there for decades, noted Robert McBain.
“It’s like a disease that never ends,” said Reece Chandler, beekeeper and owner of the Scandia Honey company.
To get rid of that bacteria, beekeepers must burn the hives. That also means killing the bees inside, which is a terrible thing, Chandler added.
Although there are antibiotics to combat the American plague, beekeeper Robert McBain highlighted that honey producers are seeing antibiotic resistance.
The use of antibiotics can alter consumer perceptions of bee products.
Foto: iStock / without author
For his part, Reece Chandler said that the use of antibiotics can alter consumer perceptions of bee products.
The financial consequences of the American plague can be considerable for beekeepers. According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of the province of Alberta, the consequences of this disease could cause financial losses of up to $18.4 million in the province if the bacteria is not combated.
How to vaccinate without injecting
To be inoculated, the vaccine is included in the food of the bees, who then transmit it to the queen by feeding her. The queen then passes that immunity on to the eggs she lays, which protects the larvae in the hive.
It’s very exciting, Reece Chandler said, that he will use this vaccine without hesitation.
We would be crazy not to use all the tools we have available. It’s already hard to keep bees alive in Canada. A quote from Reece Chandler, beekeeper and owner of Scandia Honey.
According to him, this vaccine could also allow advances in the treatment of other diseases that affect bees, such as the European plague, which is increasingly widespread in Canada.
Distribution of this vaccine in Canada will begin in spring 2024.
Fuentes: RC / A. Verreault / D. McGarvey
Adaptation: RCI / R. Valencia
2024-01-08 18:36:10
#Canadian #beekeepers #vaccine #American #plague #RCI
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