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Topic Name: Discoveries to protect bees
Category: Geo sciences & technology
Research persons: Dr. Elke Genersch
Location: Berlin, Russian Federation
Details
An interdisciplinary research team at the Free University of Berlin (FUB) and
the Institute for Studies on bees (Länderinstitut für Bienenkunde) Hohen
Neuendorf discovered the mechanism of infection of a deadly disease among
bees, the American foulbrood.
The disease, also called rotting brood or stinking wreck, is one of the most
dangerous animal diseases to bees, because it can quickly destroy the entire brood.
It is caused by bacteria which eat the larvae of bees inside until leaving a sticky
residue.
Researchers have shown that the bacterium Paenibacillus larvae agent of American
foulbrood, colonizes in the initial stages of the intestine bee larvae and lives of the
food it eats. Only when the intestine of the larva is so full of bacteria that is ready
to burst as they perforate the intestinal wall and to come in and adjacent tissues.
This discovery was made thanks to the method of fluorescent in situ hybridization
(FISH).
Until now, scientists believed that the bacillus had to pass as quickly as possible
the intestinal mucosa, on the assumption that he could not reproduce that in the
tissues of the larva. They also believed that bacteria do that ate tissues of the larva,
or they are also able to eat sugar. It is now proved that the bacillus is also able to
feed itself and multiply in the gut of the larvae.
Each year, this disease, whose appearance must be declared, causing among
beekeepers around the world very large losses. The only possibility current fight
against this disease is the total destruction of the infected brood and colonies. A
security zone with a radius of 3 km, prohibited access, is usually put in place
around the hive affected. The disease is even more difficult to eradicate that
bacteria can survive in the form of spores for decades.
The results obtained in Berlin and Hohen Neuendorf act as a breakthrough in
pathology bees and could be a first step towards effective treatment of the disease.
A track would include control of honey with which the larvae are fed, to detect any
spores. Another approach would be to feed the larvae with honey whose
composition (flowers) is unfavourable to bacterial growth.
The team was led by Dr. Elke Genersch, a researcher at the Institute study on bees
and teaching the department of veterinary medicine at the FUB, Prof.. Lothar
Wieler and Dr. Marcel Nordhoff, working both at the Institute of Microbiology
and Epidemiology of animal veterinary medicine department of the FUB.
Claire Nicolas, claire.nicolas (at) diplomatie.gouv.fr
Germany number BE 386 (21/05/2008) - The Embassy of France in Germany /
ADIT - www.bulletins-electroniques.com/actualites/54716.htm
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