Thanks Jerry! The manufacturer got right back to me as well: their info is that the test kit is "...99% accurate and is considered as a benchmark test by OECD...there is no cross reactivity with other organisms."

Glad to hear there is agreement in the field as I use these test kits to confirm the presence of EFB (European Foulbrood). I am sadly very experienced in spotting this condition as it is common in my area, so I am confident I am sampling correctly.

I have tried to remediate EFB affected colonies (all confirmed positive with the Vita Life kit) by medicating with oxtytet, then turning onto bare, clean equipment and then remedicating. Last year of 8 affected hives, 6 failed to shake off the EFB. Note that we now require a veterinary consult and prescription for the medication...last year I could buy it at my local bee supply outlet. I would think by the time I pay for the vet, meds and new equipment, I am well over the cost of the colony.

Remediation, even when effective, sets the colonies back hard...they lose the affected brood (and the first symptom is often a failure to expand when expansion is expected), they lose brood time while they build comb in the new equipment, and by the time you get them through it is a race against the calendar to get them built up for winter. If the treatment protocol fails, your colony is too small to survive a second round of treatment. A study, I think by the BBKA, suggests that even after successful remediation, there is a high'ish recurrence rate in the next season. I would love to see the follow-up study on why that happens.

This has led me to a policy whereby I test suspect colonies with the Vita Life kit. If I get a positive I euthanize the colony (with alcohol, after dark when all foragers are home), and send all the equipment for sterilization. Given my draconian policy (adopted to prevent spread), I have been asked the following questions (which have now been answered):

1. Is the test kit positive result reliably accurate?
2. Is the pathogen something other than EFB?

I would ask a third question:

3. Is EFB in my area displaying resistance to oxytet?

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