The US government has approved the use of the world’s first honey bee pollen, raising hopes for a new weapon against the colony-destroying diseases used for food pollination.
The USDA has conditionally licensed a vaccine made by Dalan Animal Health, a biotechnology company, to help protect honey bees from American foulbrood.
“Our vaccine is a breakthrough in honeybee protection,” said Annette Kleiser, the company’s chief executive, “we are poised to change the way we care for insects, which is impacting food production on a global scale.” ”, according to the British newspaper , The Guardian.
The vaccine, which will initially be available to commercial beekeepers, aims to reduce brood diseases by:
- A serious disease that can weaken and kill hives.
- There is currently no cure for this disease, which has been discovered in the United States.
- Dealing with the disease requires beekeepers to destroy and burn any infected colonies and administer antibiotics to prevent the disease from spreading.
How does the vaccine work?
The vaccine works by incorporating certain bacteria into royal jelly, which they then ingest and accumulate some in their ovaries.
Thereafter, the developing bee larvae are immune to decay.
It is worth noting that many wild bee species are in an alarming state of decline, due to pesticide use and the climate crisis, which raises concerns about a global crisis in insect numbers threatening ecosystems, food security and human health.
