Standard methods for European foulbrood research 2.0

Abstract

European foulbrood (EFB) is a severe bacterial honey bee brood disease caused by the Gram-positive bacterium Melissocccus plutonius. The disease is widely distributed worldwide, and is an increasing problem in some areas. Although the causative agent of EFB was described almost a century ago, many basic aspects of its pathogenesis are still unknown. Earlier studies were hampered by insensitive and unspecific methods such as culture based techniques. Recent advances in molecular technologies have led to a boom in the methods available to study both disease and causative organism, but not all published methods offer data of equal quality, or are likely to result in success. This paper presents selected step-by-step methodologies that have been used with success in at least one laboratory of the authors and considered relevant by the consortium of authors. We hope this paper helps providing some assistance to those wishing to work on M. plutonius and EFB, and speeds up the discovery of new knowledge to improve the control of this damaging and often neglected disease.

Keywords

Honey bee; European foulbrood; Melissococcus plutonius; brood disease; methodologies; BEEBOOK; COLOSS

Published in

Journal of Apicultural Research
2024
Publisher: TAYLOR & FRANCIS LTD

SLU Authors

• Forsgren, Eva

  • Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

UKÄ Subject classification

Zoology

Publication identifier

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00218839.2024.2380425

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/132403