Hi All
 
I have enjoyed the TM discussion so far and just thought I would
throw in my bit as a microbio person.
 
The treatments described seem to involve getting the antibiotic into
as many bees as possible. I would theorise that one actually wants to
medicate one full life cycle of bees, so as to have ensured that
young raised are fed by adults who have embibed spores which
germinated and died. What the young are fed must also contain
medication. One wants the base of all cells being used for brood to
be filled with TM containing food produced by nurses fed by workers
eating tm contaminated food sources. Hence one should have a period
when the total number of spores in the hive will decrease
dramatically as they are lapped up by cleaners and killed with TM
when they germinate.
 
In the end, a number of the bacteria will develop TM resistance. To
do this they will probably have hauled water from a puddle with a Cow
pat in it. Cows are fed TM and harbour hundreds of TM resistant
strans. These bacteria will die and the bacillus we are interested in
may pick up that DNA and become TM resistant. However it now has to
lug this big piece of DNA around that gives it this resistance. When
you take the TM away, and bacteria that are silly enough to lug this
gene around for a while will die becuase the others that have thrown
it away again have a competitive advantage. And the chances are, if a
bug is carrying that gene around for resistance it will become that
much less virulent and the bees may be able to cope with it anyhow.
 
Many prophylactic treatments work in this fashion - to encourage
resistant strains that can then be mopped up by natural systems
available in the organism being treated.
 
It's a bit like building special fences around houses that require a
burglar have several spades tied to each leg to be able to get over
them. It is much easier for police to catch these burglars, and if
one takes the fence away later and the burglars are stupid enough to
continue wearing the spades the cops will have a field day.
 
Just my two milligrams.
 
Keep well
 
Garth
 
Garth Cambray           Camdini Apiaries
Grahamstown             Apis mellifera capensis
Eastern Cape Prov.
South Africa
 
Time = Honey
 
After careful consideration, I have decided that if I am ever a V.I.P
the I. may not stand for important.
(rather influential, ignorant, idiotic, intelectual, illadvised etc)