a vaccine to save the bees – Insurance for Pets

Until now, beekeepers had no choice but to burn everything in the face of American foulbrood, a contagious disease that is decimating millions of bee hives.bees in the world. It is caused by a bacterium that resists cold, heat, drought and remains contagious for more than 40 years in the open air. « The veterinary services are very strict and want to avoid any spread (…) so we immediately burn the equipment, the bees“, indicates Daniel Smith, beekeeper in Maryland (United States).

A vaccine eaten by queens

Faced with this, a start-up from Georgia (USA) had the idea of ​​producing the first vaccine for insects. « We can’t fight the climate crisis if we don’t tackle the decline of our pollinators« , says Annette Kleisei, CEO of « Dalan Animal Health ». The vaccine for bees is mixed with a sweet paste that each colony queen eats. « Any eggs she lays will be immune to disease“, explains Dr. Joerg Mayer, professor of zoological medicine at the University of Georgia.