From: RSBrenchley@aol.com
Date: Tue, 9 Oct 2001 05:10:44 EDT
To: BiologicalBeekeeping@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: How do you tell diseases apart

Hi All.

If you go to http://www.csl.gov.uk/main.cfm and do a search for 'EFB',
there are several recent documents available for download, in PDF format. The
picture is that:

1) Antibiotic resistance has not been found in the UK. 'Certain parts of
the world have become reliant on antibiotics. People need to be discouraged
from treating for AFB'. This antipathy to antibiotics emerges repeatedly.

2) Shook swarm treatment has been in use since 1999, and shows a similar
success rate to OTC. It appears to be particularly useful in cases of
repeated infection, and where the disease is endemic. So far, treatment with
OTC has been used after the shakedown, but 'the next step would be to shook
swarm without antibiotics'.

3) Research is ongoing at Cardiff University into the possible use of a
bacterial control.

4) Several different bacteria were found.

I can't remember where I found it, but I read something the other day
about chalkbrood inhibiting EFB. This wouldn't surprise me, as fungi do
commonly inhibit bacteria. Apparently, as the incidence of chalkbrood
increased in the States, EFB decreased. Can anyone confirm this? Why did
chalkbrood become so common over there?

Regards,

Robert Brenchley,
Birmingham, UK.

RSBrenchley@aol.com