>
> My kit was in date (expiry December 2009). Of course it is essential that
> the larva is an infected one. This one was from under a capping, had
> collapsed and
> had the EFB smell.
>
Trevor : Does the kit detect Bacillus alvei or only Melissococcus pluton?
http://www.oie.int/Eng/normes/mmanual/2008/pdf/2.02.03_EUROPEAN_FOULB.pdf
A number of other bacteria are often associated with and may be confused
with M. plutonius. Bacterium
eurydice inhabits the alimentary tract of adult bees and occurs commonly in
the gut of healthy larvae in small
numbers. It is more numerous in larvae infected with M. plutonius. The
incidence of B. eurydice in healthy
bees is very low in winter and early spring, but it increases in summer. It
forms thin square-ended rods,
which can grow either singly or in chains. When grown in certain media, it
sometimes resembles streptococci and has been confused with M. plutonius.
However, its cultural characteristics closely resemble those of
Corynebacterium pyogenes (10), and it multiplies poorly in the form of thin
rods, under the conditions
necessary for the cultivation of M. plutonius.
Enterococcus (= Streptococcus) faecalis closely resembles M. plutonius
morphologically and has often been
confused with it, although they are both culturally and serologically
distinct. Unlike M. plutonius, it does not
remain viable for long when dried, or persist as mechanical contamination
within bee colonies. It is probably
brought into the hive by foraging adult bees, and is responsible for the
sour smell sometimes encountered
with European foulbrood.
Enterococcus faecalis grows well in vitro under the conditions suitable for
M. plutonius, but it may be readily
differentiated by its ability to grow aerobically. It forms small
transparent colonies within 24 hours and is a
facultative anaerobe. It multiplies on a variety of the more common media
with or without carbohydrates or
CO2. The final pH in the presence of glucose is 4.0. Enterococcus faecalis
rarely exceeds the number of
M. plutonius in bee larvae, and can usually be diluted out. When it is not
diluted out it produces sufficient
acid to prevent the in-vitro multiplication of M. plutonius.
Enterococcus faecalis does not multiply in bee larvae in the absence of M.
plutonius, so its presence in large
numbers can be taken as presumptive evidence of European foulbrood.
Paenibacillus (= Bacillus) alvei is generally more common than E. faecalis
in bee colonies affected with
European foulbrood, but it is not invariably associated with the disease and
so cannot act as a reliable
indicator of it. In bee colonies, it multiplies only in the decomposing
remains of larvae, and then its spores
often predominate over all other bacteria, even to their apparent exclusion.
Paenibacillus alvei forms very
resistant spores and becomes well established in bee colonies with enzootic
European foulbrood. It causes a
characteristic stale odour. Paenibacillus alvei multiplies poorly under the
conditions necessary for the in-vitro
growth of M. plutonius. It produces a spreading growth of transparent
colonies, some of which are motile and
move in arcs over the surface of the agar. Cultures have the characteristic
stale odour that is associated with European foulbrood when the bacillus is
present. Spores are formed rapidly.
--
Juanse Barros J.
APIZUR S.A.
Carrera 695
Gorbea - CHILE
+56-45-271693
08-3613310
http://apiaraucania.blogspot.com/
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