From: RSBrenchley@aol.com
Date: Sun, 7 Oct 2001 13:36:04 EDT
To: BiologicalBeekeeping@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: How do you tell diseases apart

Peter Dillon writes:

> E.F.B. has classic symptoms that have been assigned to a particular bacteria
> type.
>
> But is it clear that so called E.F.B. symptoms are always caused by the same
> and single infection?
>
> As mentioned, with the increase in worldwide V.j. incidence, many comments
> have been made suggesting that E.F.B. is often
> seen in such parasitized hives.
> These comments linked with the explanation that the E.F.B. rears its ugly
> head due to the colonies being under stress and, or
> the V.j. is a vector of infection.

Going purely by my reading, EFB is apparently caused by a bacterium which
is present at some level in most if not all hives. When conditions are right,
the disease emerges. If this is the case, then treatment isn't going to get
you very far; if the stress which allows the disease is temporary, it will go
away anyway, unless it gets really bad in the meantime, and weakens the hive
beyond the point of no return. If the stress is permanent, then treatment
without removing it will inevitably provide only a temporary solution. EFB
can only be accurately diagnosed in the lab, however, and half moon disease
looks the same to the observer.

Am I on the right lines? What I want, given that the disease is around,
is a way of dealing with it which doesn't involve antibiotics, and I rejoice
to see that the scientists are thinking the same way as I am. I've never seen
it in the flesh, however, I'm going purely on the basis of what I know about
the behaviour of bacteria, and I need to be sure that I'm not barking up the
wrong tree.

Regards,

Robert Brenchley,
Birmingham, UK.

RSBrenchley@aol.com