Hi Trevor and All
 
You menioned that the TM resistance in bacterial strains in cows
cannot cross to strains in bees.
 
This may be incorrect. Bacteria have an ability to perform so called
lateral gene shifts - genes are transferred without actual sexual
contact. The way they do this is to pick up chunks of environmental
DNA they may find (usually small pieces that have one or two genes on
them termed plasmids) which are then kept for a little while. If they
do something good, the bacteria lives a bit longer and has more
offspring. If they do something bad, it goes into hard times and
chews up all excess DNA and gets rid of the bad extra piece. It amy
also die ( a bit like succumbing to an irritation heartattack for
picking up a computer on the side of the road loaded with Win3.0 and
WP5.1 and  trying to use it??)
 
So it is feasible for DNA from bacillus species, or any other similar
bacteria that evolve a TM resistance gene to be transported back to a
beehive in water which had a cowpat in it. This is how many of the
worlds pennicillen (sp?) resistant strains of all sorts of bacteria
have evolved. Farmers in feedlots in some countries feed this
antibiotic to cows to increase among other things milk production
(the antibiotic kills of non-beneficial bacteria in the cows gut that
were turning good food into bad gas, but leaves the good ones that
help break down cellulose and so on). People drink the milk which has
some bacteria in it which are resistant. If they are on antibiotics
at the time, the strain which is being treated may pick up the
resistant plasmid and bang goes another treatment.
 
So hence I would predict that in a few years resistance will arrive.
But that is not a problem - a new technique has just been
internationally patented which dramatically increases the rate at
which industry's can improve their production strains - which should
mean world antibiotic prices will tumble. Hence one will be able to
use a three treatment punch - should prohibit too much resistance.
(at hopefully the same cost)
 
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)