Hi Randy Oliver,

I really expected another kind of approach to this issue of trade of bees.
Your new statement is disappointing: «I was simply stating a biological
fact.  Any movement of organisms, whether legal or illegal, eventually
results is the movement of their parasites. The less movement of organisms
across oceans, the less movement of the associated parasites. The view that
we will eventually spread all parasites to all continents is fatalistic, but
is supported by history»

Your above mentioned assertion, although apparently obvious and based on
common sense, is far from being supported by strong scientific evidence. It
seems to be based on long time exposure to the 24 HOURS program and the
challenges of agent Jack Bauer and the CTU (Counter Terrorist Unit) team
trying to stop bioterrorist attacks.

Is all your scientific evidence just based on the four pages (160 to 164) of
the book entitled «Infectious Disease Ecology» that you found on Amazon? If
you really want to find out something about the history of animal diseases
and its world distribution, then I suggest you to read the book entitled
«History of the surveillance and control of transmissible animal diseases»
by J. Blancou and edited by the O.I.E. (World Animal Health Organization *
www.oie.int* <http://www.oie.int/>).

This book outlines the history of the surveillance and control of the major
transmissible diseases (sheep pox, foot and mouth disease, anthrax,
glanders, contagious bovine pleuropneumonia, rinderpest, rabies,
tuberculosis, and ecto- and endoparasitic disease), as well as wildlife
diseases.

So you suggest the best way to avoid new pests and diseases is to stop the
transportation of living organisms…? This Howard Hughes approach to preserve
the health of honeybees will drive us to insanity as it did for him.

Maybe a future development of your recommendation could be to stop incoming
migratory colonies from non-California states to accomplish almond
pollination in California. Another course of action, might be to stop
foreign passengers from arriving into international airports. We human
beings are all dangerous living organisms carrying unknown and lethal
microorganisms, aren`t we?

Do you also have an epidemiological contingency plan to prevent or to
eradicate the migration of swallows from California to Argentina? What about
the seasonal migration of wild geese through the Behring strait? These
dangerous birds might carry the highly pathogenic version of the avian flu
virus (H5N1). Should we kill all these birds or convince them to stop their
migration plans?

Common sense is the least common of senses. It looks as if your paradigm is
a mythical state of purity enjoyed by honeybees in America, which was
eventually altered by trade or better said «movement of organisms» just 40
years ago. Well, let me tell you that the original sin that corrupted the
virginity of our American environment, started back in year 1622 with the
first documented successful introduction of honeybees in North America and
the consequent displacement of plenty of adapted native species of
pollinators.

The first European honeybees brought to North America 386 years ago, carried
with themselves an unknown set of pathogens (AFB and EFB, maybe?). We simply
ignore how devastating its effect was on the feral population of the
American aboriginal native pollinators.

What about the impact of new introductions of honeybee races (in terms of
bee diseases) performed by Frank Benton during the late 1800`s and early
1900`s? I do not think there is a record for such events, but Mr. Benton
brought bees from every conceivable place on Earth. It is a miracle Varroa
mites were not introduced over 100 years ago accidentally, through Benton
efforts to import different races of honeybees.

The globalization of honeybees started 386 years ago and it has not ended
yet. Thus your statement that until 40 years ago, the non-native Apis
mellifera honeybee species was living in the Garden of Eden in America is
far from true. This globalization process has indeed risks and challenges,
and obviously transportation enhances some of them, but it is part of the
imperfect world we live in. I do not think that the ostrich approach of burying
the head in the sand, is the best way to stop exotic diseases from entering
into new territories.

The World Animal Health Organization (www.oie.int) has certain guidelines,
directives and recommendations for the trade of animals and animal
by-products. Certainly you can agree or disagree with them, but they provide
a  framework of consensus gained by all 172 member countries (including the
US of course!) to prevent the  introduction and transmission of animal
diseases.

You can access the O.IE. Terrestrial Animal Health Code which includes a
specific chapter on bee diseases at
http://www.oie.int/eng/normes/mcode/en_titre_1.9.htm. Under the  WTO
Sanitary and Phitosanitary Agreement signed by the 153 member countries, the
O.I.E. has been recognized as the international standard setting body for
animal diseases.

Like it or not, agree or disagree we have some ways to mitigate and reduce
the impact of animal diseases. I am afraid that we do not have 100%
certainty but a high probability to avoid their accidental introduction.
However, limiting the movement of animals is not a realistic approach.

Sincerely,


Martin Braunstein
www.malkaqueens.com

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