World’s First Insect Vaccine Made for Honeybees

What vaccine has been approved?

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has approved the world's first insect vaccine. Dalan Animal Health created this vaccine. It was developed to protect honeybees from the deadly disease American foulbrood (AFB).

The only way to fight the disease was to burn infected hives and bees. This new vaccine will help to prevent this. The vaccine is given by mixing it with queen feed, which is then eaten by the queen bee. After that, the queen bee gives birth to babies that are immune to the disease since they have already been exposed to the vaccine.

What is American foulbrood disease?

The American foulbrood weakens and destroys honey bee hives. Although AFB is not very contagious, it can spread quickly between hives and apiaries. It can spread through beekeeping methods like equipment exchange and the transfer of infected honeycombs.

AFB spores can survive high and low temperatures and can live for more than 50 years. So, the best way to treat the disease is to avoid infections and deal with infected colonies as soon as possible before they spread.

Why is it important to save honeybees?

Honeybees help in pollinating plants. Bees make honey, royal jelly, beeswax, etc., that people use. Many people rely on beekeeping for a living as well.

Bee experts say bees are responsible for the production of one-third of the world's food. Honey Bees carry pollen from flowers to other plants. This allows plants and many food crops to reproduce.

Sadly, human activity affects bees and other pollinators like butterflies and bats. Climate change, excessive chemical use, and diseases such as AFB have all contributed to a global decrease in bee populations. So, we must try to save them, or else it will only affect our chances of survival.

What did we learn from this article?

We learned about the importance of pollinators like honeybees as well as the diseases that harm them. They are important factors in the reproduction of many food crops and plants. The survival of honeybees is needed for the survival of human beings.