Preliminary observations on the susceptibility of Africanized honey bees to American foulbrood
Author(s)
Robert G Danka; Jose D Villa
Abstract
Certain lines of European honey bees, Apis mellifera, have genetically determined resistance to American foulbrood (AFB). This resistance is caused mostly by the hygienic removal of infected brood by workers and by the physiological resistance of larvae to infection by Bacillus larvae (Bamrick & Rothenbuhler, 1961; Rothenbuhler, 1964; Newton & Ostasiewski, 1986 and references therein). It is unclear to what degree Africanized honey bees may be vulnerable to this disease. Honey bees in subsaharan Africa and the Africanized honey bee population of South America probably have not encountered serious challenges by AFB, but may have been exposed to it within the last decade as they advanced through Central America (Nixon, 1982; personal observation).
Keywords
Africanized honey bees, Apismellifera, American foulbrood, Bacillus larvae,hygienic behaviour
