A vaccine for bees? ‘It’s looking promising’: Essex County beekeeper
The world’s first vaccine against American foulbrood has been approved for use by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Dalan Animal Health, a biotech company based in Athens, Georgia has received a two-year, conditional licence to distribute the vaccine to commercial beekeepers.
“This vaccine sounds like it could be really beneficial to the industry,” says Tom Congdon, third generation owner and operator of Sun Parlour Honey, based in Cottam, Ont.
“These new treatments that they're coming up with show good promise,” says Congdon. “We need to see the field studies this summer to know just how effective it's going to be but it's looking promising.”
Congdon says American foulbrood has been in North America for decades, as far back as when his grandfather started the business in 1916.
“American foulbrood is very difficult to manage other than destruction of the colony and starting fresh,” says Congdon.
According to the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, American foulbrood is caused by a bacteria called paenibacillus larvae and it only attacks developing bee larvae, not adults.
The ministry notes, “this disease is highly contagious, will contaminate beekeeping equipment, bees and honey, and will weaken, and in most cases, kill a honey bee colony.”
Bee colonies at Sun Parlour Honey in Cottam, Ont. on Monday, Jan. 23, 2023. (Michelle Maluske/CTV News Windsor)Congdon says the only treatment is an antibiotic which he believes isn’t effective once the bees are infected.
Congdon says beekeepers in Ontario are managing the disease “quite well” because they are continually checking their colonies, looking for any signs of sickness.
But he notes a more “virulent” form of American foulbrood has been found in Western Canada.
“It's only a matter of time before it migrates to our area. So if we can have a vaccine that's going to give more protection and that in the long run would be safer for the bees,” says Congdon.
According to the Dalan website, the American foulbrood vaccine contains cells from paenibacillus larvae.
It is then put into something called ‘queen candy’ which is a sugary substance with a gum-like consistency.
The worker bees eat it as a food source and pass it onto the queen, who in turn passes the immunity onto the larvae she hatches.
According to Dalan, the vaccine is “non-GMO and can be used in organic agriculture.”
If it is ever approved for use in Canada, Congdon would consider using it at his farm as a preventative measure.
“It'll be something that you use ahead of time,” says Congdon. “If you have a colony that's infected with American foulbrood, I think you'll still want to probably destroy (the colony) and start fresh because those spores can spread everywhere so quickly and they can get into all of our equipment.”
CTV News has reached out to Health Canada and the Pest Management Regulatory Agency and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency for comment.
This is a developing story, more details to come.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'It could be catastrophic': Woman says natural supplement contained hidden painkiller drug
A Manitoba woman thought she found a miracle natural supplement, but said a hidden ingredient wreaked havoc on her health.
After hearing thousands of last words, this hospital chaplain has advice for the living
Hospital chaplain J.S. Park opens up about death, grief and hearing thousands of last words, and shares his advice for the living.
WHO likely to issue wider alert on contaminated cough syrup
The World Health Organization is likely to issue a wider warning about contaminated Johnson and Johnson-made children's cough syrup found in Nigeria last week, it said in an email.
WATCH Video shows dramatic police takedown of carjacking suspects chased through parking lot north of Toronto
Police have released video footage of a dramatic takedown of a group of teens wanted in connection with an attempted carjacking in Markham earlier this month.
Canada, G7 urge 'all parties' to de-escalate in growing Mideast conflict
Canada called for 'all parties' to de-escalate rising tensions in the Mideast following an apparent Israeli drone attack against Iran overnight.
'It was all my savings': Ontario woman loses $15K to fake Walmart job scam
A woman who recently moved to Canada from India was searching for a job when she got caught in an online job scam and lost $15,000.
Families to receive Canada Child Benefit payment on Friday
More money will land in the pockets of some Canadian families on Friday for the latest Canada Child Benefit installment.
After COVID, WHO defines disease spread 'through air'
The World Health Organization and around 500 experts have agreed for the first time on what it means for a disease to spread through the air, in a bid to avoid the confusion early in the COVID-19 pandemic that some scientists have said cost lives.
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.