Vaccine for combating severe bacterial infections in bees receives approval for deployment in Canada.

Canada Grants Conditional License for Groundbreaking Bee Vaccine

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has granted conditional approval for an oral vaccine aimed at safeguarding honey bees from the peril of American foulbrood disease, capable of decimating entire colonies when left untreated.

Dalan Animal Health, a U.S.-based manufacturer, disclosed the Canadian approval in a press release dated October 16th.

According to Ernesto Guzman, who serves as the director of the Honey Bee Research Centre at the University of Guelph, American foulbrood is instigated by the Paenibacillus larvae bacterium, known for generating resilient spores that can endure for years within a beehive.

Guzman further explains that the transmission of these spores and the subsequent spread of the disease is primarily facilitated by worker bees in the hive. However, it’s the bees in their larval stage that manifest noticeable clinical signs of infection.

The vaccine consists of inactivated Paenibacillus larvae bacteria and functions by inducing ingestion by the queen bee, responsible for egg laying. This immunization benefit is subsequently conveyed to the developing larval bees.

The vaccine is incorporated into a paste composed of powdered sugar and glucose syrup, which is consumed by worker bees. Their secretions, in turn, are provided to the queen bee.

Research trials financed by Dalan Animal Health demonstrated a notable reduction of 30 to 50 percent in American foulbrood infection among honey bee larvae when their queen bees received the vaccine, in contrast to the control hives that were administered placebos.

Dalan Animal Health announced in a press release that the vaccine is slated for a limited distribution to commercial beekeepers in Canada, with the anticipated commencement in the spring of 2024.