K.H. Steinkraus and R.A. Morse. 1992. “American foulbrood incidence in some U.S. and Canadian honeys.” Apidologie. 23, 497-501.

Eighty-two honey samples were obtained from 44 different apiaries and commercial honey producers in 12 states: New York (47), Pennsylvania (12), Massachusetts (6), Connecticut (1), New Jersey (1), Georgia (1), Ohio (6), North Carolina (1), Rhode Island (1), Virginia (1), Maryland (1), Michigan (1) and Ontario, Canada(3)…. 

Seven of 82 honey samples (8.5%) contained B larvae spores. Six of the positive samples were from New York State; one was from Pennsylvania. B larvae counts ranged from 10-25 colony forming units (cfu)/g honey in 3 samples, 320-440 cfu/g honey in one sample, 560 to > 3 000 cfu/g honey in 2 samples, and to 2 540 to 4 000 cfu/g honey in one sample. If one uses the probable numbers of B larvae spores/cfu (Hansen, 1984a,b), the actual numbers of B larvae spores in the honey samples ranged from 10 000 to 12 000 000/g honey (each colony representing 1 000 to 3 000 spores/g honey). The remaining honey samples (91.5%) showed no growth of B larvae colonies. However, 3 samples of honey contained bacteria, not B larvae at levels of > 3 000 cfu/g. 

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