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American and European foulbrood detected in apiaries in Glen Isla and Coupar Angus.

An investigation by Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture (SASA) has confirmed two further cases of American foulbrood (AFB), a disease affecting colonies of honeybees, have been found.

The first case was found in a bee hive at a heather site in Glen Isla, with the source traced back to a second apiary in Coupar Angus in Perthshire. The second apiary contained no live bees but the bacteria was confirmed in debris on old frames. The disease has been confirmed by scientists in SASA labs, and both apiaries have been destroyed.

Both apiaries also contained European foulbrood. This is a significant development as this disease has largely been confined to the commercial sector.

The bees had recently been purchased from a non-commercial beekeeper. The new owner alerted Scottish Government Bee Inspectors to his concerns.

Investigations are continuing as to whether this case is linked to the AFB case reported earlier in July near Alyth.

Beekeepers in the areas around Blairgowrie, Coupar Angus, Alyth and Meigle, as well as beekeepers in these areas who take their bees to the heather, are asked to be particularly vigilant for these diseases and to carry out specific health checks on their bees.

To date in 2015 we have confirmed in Scotland:

• 60 cases of EFB
• 5 cases of AFB

There are no risks to public health from these diseases and no implications for the quality and safety of honey. The movement of bees and related equipment into or out of the affected apiaries are under specific controls.

AFB is one of two notifiable bacterial honey bee diseases. The other is European foulbrood (EFB). However, AFB is the more serious disease than EFB and must be dealt with quickly as it can be spread by honeybees themselves. There is no treatment permitted in the UK for AFB, colonies must be destroyed by burning and the hives sterilised. Bee farmers and beekeepers are being urged to be vigilant for signs of the disease, to maintain good husbandry practices and to notify any suspicion of disease toBeesMailbox@scotland.gsi.gov.uk.

In order to assist Scottish Government Bee Inspectors to control this and other diseases, beekeepers are urged to register on BeeBase, the national bee database. This will give them access to up-to-date information on the control of AFB, EFB and other bee related issues.

Beekeepers in the area of this outbreak who are not on BeeBase are requested to register at:https://secure.fera.defra.gov.uk/beebase/public/register.cfm or send their contact details to:BeesMailbox@scotland.gsi.gov.uk.

Notes To Editors

As soon as the notifiable diseases European foulbrood (EFB) and/or American foulbrood (AFB) is suspected the beekeeper becomes subject to The Bee Diseases and Pests Control (Scotland) Order 2007 (as amended) which prohibits removal of hives, bees, combs, appliances etc. from the premises affected except for the purpose of submitting a sample for laboratory tests.

Disease is confirmed following laboratory diagnosis by Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture (SASA). Samples being submitted to SASA: should be marked “URGENT – BIOLOGICAL SPECIMENS” and sent to: Zoology Laboratory (BEE DISEASES), SASA, Roddinglaw Road, Edinburgh, EH12 9FJ.

Symptoms of AFB

The characteristic disease signs of AFB include some or all of the following:

• Uneven or 'Pepper-pot' brood pattern;
• Sunken, greasy or perforated, darkened cell cappings;
• Roping, sticky larval remains when drawn out with a matchstick;
• Dark "scales", which are difficult to remove from cells.

Symptoms of EFB

An infected colony may show some or all of the signs below:

• Erratic or uneven brood pattern;
• Twisted larvae with creamy-white guts visible through the body wall;
• Melted down, yellowy white larvae;
• An unpleasant sour odour;
• Loosely-attached brown scales;
• Unlike AFB, the remains of larvae that die from EFB do not rope when drawn out with a matchstick.

American foulbrood

AFB is caused by a spore forming bacterium called Paenibacillus larvae. These spores are the infective stage of the disease and infection begins when food contaminated with spores are fed to larvae by the nurse bees. Once in the gut of the larva the spores germinate, bateria move into the larval tissues, where they multiply enormously. Infected larvae normally die after the cell is sealed and millions of infective spores form in their remains. P. larvae spores remain viable for many years. They are very resistant to extremes of hot and cold, and to many disinfectants.

European foulbrood

EFB is caused by the bacterium Melissococcus plutonius. Larvae become infected by consuming contaminated food fed by the nurse bees. The bacteria multiply within the larval gut, competing with it for food. They remain in the gut and do not invade larval tissue; larvae that die from the disease do so because they have been starved of food. This normally occurs shortly before the cells are capped.

Further information is available at :

Scottish Government Website:

• http://www.gov.scot/Topics/farmingrural/Agriculture/animal-welfare/bee
• http://www.gov.scot/Topics/farmingrural/Agriculture/animal-welfare/Diseases/disease/brood

NBU (National Bee Unit) - Beebase (which has advisory leaflets on notifiable diseases):

• https://secure.fera.defra.gov.uk/beebase/index.cfm