Essential oils for prevention and control of American Foulbrood

FUSELLI, S; GIMÉNEZ MARTÍNEZ P.; FUENTES GISELLE; ALONSO SALCES ROSA MARIA; MAGGI MATIAS

Apiculture

IntechOpen

Lugar: Londres; Año: 2018;

American foulbrood (AFB) is the mostsevere bacterial disease that affects honey bees, having a nearly cosmopolitandistribution. AFB?s causative agent is Paenibacilluslarvae. AFB kills infected honey bee larvae; however, it eventually leadsto the collapse of the entire colony when left untreated. The infection takesplace by the ingestion of the spores with the food provided by adult worker beesto the larvae. In South America (SA) the disease was first describeb in 1989 inArgentina, constituting the first sanitary challenge for beekeepers toovercome. Prevention and control measures of AFB in SA countries generallyinclude vigilance for early diagnosis, isolation of apiaries with cases of AFB,and multiplication of healthy colonies with hygienic queens, among others. Theextensive use of tetracycline hydrochloride in Argentina has led to thedevelopment of resistant P. larvaeisolates. In this context, the development of alternative and effective methodsfor the control and prevention of AFB disease is crucial. Currently,alternative strategies for the prevention and treatment of AFB are beingstudied, mainly based on essential oils.