Apr

Got Foulbrood?

The National Bee Diagnostic Center is collecting suspected foulbrood samples (EFB and AFB) to contribute to a Canada-wide study. But first, we need your help.

The goals of this research are to 1) develop better foulbrood diagnostic techniques (especially for EFB), 2) better understand the factors contributing to active vs. benign infections, and 3) compare the virulence of different bacterial strains as well as their susceptibility (or resistance) to antibiotics. We hope that this will lead to faster, more reliable diagnoses and more targeted treatment strategies.

To do this, we need a broad sample of the different bacterial strains found in Canada. If you identify a colony with a suspected foulbrood infection, please consider sampling affected larvae and submitting the samples to us (instructions below). The success of the project depends on collecting an adequate number and diversity of samples to get a good representation of the population.

If you suspect you have EFB or AFB in your colonies, please sample the affected brood according to the instructions below. Your contributions will make this study more powerful and will help make us all better-equipped for dealing with these diseases in our apiaries.

Sincere thanks,

Patricia Wolf Veiga

Acting Manager/Diagnostic Technician
National Bee Diagnostic Centre Beaverlodge, Alberta