American Foulbrood
A notifiable disease of honeybees which is caused by a spore-forming bacterium which kills the bee larva by completely consuming the body tissues. Control of the disease is through compulsory destruction of infected colonies.
European Foulbrood
A notifiable disease of honeybees which is caused by a bacterium which causes the bee larva to starve to death by competing for its food. There are three options for controlling EFB: treatment with an antibiotic***; treatment using the "shook-swarm" method; destruction).
*** treatment with an antibiotic MUST be carried out by an "Authorised Person"
A map of all confirmed cases of foulbrood in Scotland for July and August can be found at the following link:
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/farmingrural/Agriculture/animal-welfare/Diseases/SpecificDisease/foulbrood/confirmedcases
DISEASE SITUATION AS AT: WEDNESDAY 30TH SEPTEMBER 2009
Hives inspected: 2,764 (from 289 apiaries)
Infected apiaries with EFB only: 56
Infected apiaries with AFB only: 34
Infected apiaries with both EFB & AFB: 2
Infected hives with EFB: 255
Infected hives with AFB: 121
LOCATION OF CONFIRMED OUTBREAKS: The Perthshire, Angus, Inverness and Moray area.
On Friday 11th Sepbember 2009, commercial beekeepers within the infected areas were trained in the safe use and administration of the antibiotic Oxytetracycline (used for the disease European Foul Brood only). Following successful completion of the training course, these beekeepers have been given termporary 'authorised person' status (until 30 November 2009) which will enable them to administer the antibiotic to hives in their ownership only.