Africa-Press – Eritrea. Experts have been signalling that several bee species are at risk of extinction due to increased loss of habitats and fallout from human activities, with diseases also factoring in into the decline.
Honey bees are to be vaccinated, as a jab specially developed for the critically-important pollinator insects has just been approved for use by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Engineered to prevent this bee species’ deaths from a bacterial condition known as American foulbrood disease, a conditional license for the inoculation was approved this week, the biotech firm Dalan Animal Health, Inc. stated. The vaccine, “breakthrough in protecting honey bees”, Dalan Animal Health CEO Annette Kleiser said in a statement. Oral Vaccination
Bees are vitally important for pollination, and, as such play a critical role in the ecosystem. However, besides fatalities resulting from a plethora of factors, including human activity, loss of habitat, use of farm pesticides, disease has also been decimating colonies. American foulbrood disease is highly contagious and has no cure, with affected bee colonies typically burnt together with their hives.
The new vaccine contains inactive whole-cell Paenibacillus larvae bacteria, which is incorporated into the royal jelly by the worker bees. After the queen bee eats it, vaccine fragments reach her ovaries, subsequently granting developing larvae immunity.
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