EFB Outbreak

Information has just arrived about an outbreak of EFB in the Alyth area near Perth, central Scotland. Details are few but it appears this outbreak was discovered last week, a restriction order was enforced and the hives burnt. Surprisingly this information was not circulated by the SGRPID inspectorate or the SBA and still does not appear on either of their websites (as it says it will in their contingency plans).

There is an acute shortage of bees across the country and colonies and nucs may have been moving from all corners if not this very area. Please ensure other beekeepers are made aware of this situation and the potential for disaster by moving bees at this time. It may also be prudent to polish up on EFB recognition in case it has already spread.

Comment - despite what the Scottish Governments 'GUIDANCE NOTES FOR BEE DISEASES AND PESTS CONTROL (SCOTLAND) ORDER 2007 AND CONTINGENCY PLAN FOR PROPOSED ACTION IN THE EVENT OF AN INTRODUCTION OF AN EXOTIC PEST OR DISEASE OF HONEY BEES' says, both the SGRPID and the SBA seem to have failed at their first attempt in carrying out their own contingency plans by not communicating the information when it first became known so beekeepers could take necessary precautions.

EFB outbreak worse than first reported

Details on the EFB outbreak have finally been officially released by the SBA.

The Tayside outbreak of EFB appears to be the biggest bee health issue to affect beekeeping in Scotland in recent years. At the time of writing 85 colonies have been destroyed and as the bee inspectors are broadening their search the area with confirmed EFB and the numbers of beekeepers and colonies affected seems likely to grow. The Scottish Government have indicated that they will release information on this outbreak on their own website in the next few days.

The outbreak appears to be well-established in Eastern Scotland, due largely to the difficulty in diagnosing this new form of EFB. The guidance from the CSL leaflet is not appropriate for this type of EFB.

Download a guide to the variant form of EFB Outbreak infosheet here (amended 17th July, not a variant)

Widespread Outbreak of New Form of EFB in Scotland (SBA Information Document amended 17th July)

In early July 2009 disease in the apiaries of a commercial beekeeper in Perthshire was diagnosed as European Foulbrood (EFB). This note was drawn up with the encouragement and participation of the beekeeper, an experienced and respected member of the beekeeping community in Scotland.

This outbreak of EFB is suspected to have been present in the apiaries of the beekeeper for at least two years. Around 5% of his colonies are infected and the beekeeper is pursuing a policy of burning all affected colonies. Continuing investigations suggest that this disease may be well-established in the apiaries of other beekeepers in the area and, at present, neither the geographical boundaries nor the ultimate origins of the outbreak can be determined. There are currently suspect cases over a broad area of Strathmore, in the Carse of Gowrie and in the Dundee area. It is possible that the disease is as yet unrecognised elsewhere and more widespread. Updates to this note will published on the SBA website as the current investigations continue.

The disease is hard to identify and the affected colonies have been thought until recently to be suffering from Parasitic Mite Syndrome brought on by ineffective treatments for Varroa. The beekeeper reporting these problems to the Scottish Government wishes to acknowledge the role of the local bee inspector in identifying the true nature of the infection.

This outbreak of EFB differs from the widely understood description of the disease in the following ways:

- primarily sealed brood are affected, although serious cases can have a few unsealed brood cells with visible symptoms

- the lateral flow strip test marketed by Vita returns a negative or very weak positive result

- it occurs in colonies suffering a relatively high mite load

It shares characteristics with classic EFB as follows:

- unpleasant odour is usually but not always present

- soft, pasty, collapsed larval tissue

- lack of ropiness in the matchstick test

Cases are initially identified by selecting frames of mature sealed brood and looking for cappings that differ from the others, particularly those which are slightly darker or irregular in some way. Many of these cells are found to harbour chalkbrood-infected larvae, but a low proportion has larvae which have melted and may be pale or have turned brown. Such decomposing larvae usually but not always have an unpleasant odour which has been compared to rotting fish, and have given a strongly positive EFB result in a laboratory test.

Other diseases with which this condition can be confused include American Foulbrood, which has a different odour and melted larvae which will form a string when pulled out with a match, and sac brood virus, which leaves the larva as a soft watery brown object with an intact skin which can often be removed whole.

EFB is a notifiable disease and confirmation of an infected site triggers Standstill Orders and a requirement to investigate all colonies in a 5km radius of the site. Beekeepers across Scotland are encouraged to look for symptoms in their colonies and to report any suspicious finds to the local SGRPID office (see http://www.scottishbeekeepers.org.uk/co ... seases.pdf) or look under Scottish Government in the local Phone Book) and the SBA Diseases Convener. The Scottish Beekeeping Association runs an insurance scheme which can recompense beekeepers suffering destruction of colonies. Although destruction by burning is the traditional treatment, shook swarm and antibiotic treatment are alternatives that may be offered by the bee inspector.





In this season of moves to the heather and summer apiary visits, beekeepers should carefully investigate their colonies before moving bees. Organisers of apiary visits in affected areas should consider a strategy for biosecurity. The SBA Diseases Convener is willing to offer advice to concerned beekeepers.

Gavin Ramsay
Tel: 07751 142155
Email: gavinramsay@btinternet.com
Bee Diseases Convener
Scottish Beekeeping Association

Web Comment: SGRPID contact numbers etc. can be quickly found here:
Honeybee Diseases
Scottish Government Rural Payments and Inspections Directorate

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EFB Update

In relation to the EFB Outbreak a 'small stakeholders meeting' has been planned for next week to discuss how to procede with managing the outbreak. The 'small' membership will consist of the SGRPID, the SBA, and the commercial bee farmers organisation.

After speaking to the SGRPID today it is evident that no other organisations or individuals had been consulted or considered with regard to the spread and impacts of contageous disease. This is worrying and does not appear to effectively represent or consider the whole Scottish beekeeping community, and does not recognise normal beekeeping practices and the impact they have on disease spread. Many beekeepers are not members of the SBA, or local associations, and some are not as active or well connected as others.

Many may have strong opinion on the matter and would wish better and direct communications with the SGRPID to ensure swift and decisive action in cases of outbreak. There is however the possibility of a window of opportunity for other opinions to be heard on this matter at the meeting. If you wish to voice an opinion or concern on the matter please add it to this article or email the webmaster@edinburghbeekeepers.org.uk

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EFB Update

The SBA have published a statement on their website claiming the National Bee unit have said the outbreak at Tayside is not a new variant of EFB but is the regular variety. It also says, contrary to first claims, that diagnostic kits available do work although an expert eye is required to interpret the results. An amended EFB outbreak document has also been released. Read the statement here: http://www.scottishbeekeepers.org.uk/se ... eases.html

The Bee Farmers Association and the Scottish Government Rural Payments and Inspections Directorate have not yet published anything on their websites yet.

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EFB Outbreak Update

No new information on EFB or it's spread to report, however there is to be a small stakeholders meeting early this week to discuss the problem, attendees will be reps from SGRPID, SBA, BFA. More on that as it arrives.

Gavin Ramsay, SBA Diseases Convener, has updated his statement on the SBA website to include a reference to the SGRPID Guidance for Bee Diseases and Pests Control document, and has released an Apiary Hygene Biosecurity Policy document for those wishing to carry out apiary visits while the threat of disease remains.

During a conversation with Gavin recently it was suggested that it may be of benefit for beekeepers to see for themselves what EFB looks like and how to diagnose the disease correctly. That would be difficult to organise, but if it was possible then the benefits to beekeeping would be immeasurable. Perhaps a diseases representative from every local association (Convener's Deputes) would make sense.

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EFB Outbreak Update

The latest news from the SBA Diseases Convener is the emerging picture is of widespread infection, some of it severe, in several commercial beekeeping outfits across Perthshire and Angus. This could indicate that some infections are several years old and implies that any beekeeper's colonies in the infected area (currently known to cover Pitlochry to Forfar) could be affected. It means that the sites the infected operations have visited in the last few years could have contributed to the spread of infection over a much wider area, although initial investigations of contact colonies outside Tayside have been clear apparently.

Beekeepers moving colonies to the heather should be aware of the 5 km Stand Notice area, and of the guidance available from the SBA website.

Anyone suspecting EFB in their hives must report it to the Authorities.

Links: EFB - Heather Season 2009 - SBA Advisory

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EFB Outbreak Update

The Scottish Government have published a statement about the EFB outbreak on their website. It has links to sources of information and guidance and can be found here:

European Foul Brood Outbreak in Perthshire, Scotland – July 2009

The statement recommends beekeepers 'ensure that all relevant biosecurity and bee hygiene measures are taken', and encourages them 'to look for symptoms in their colonies and to report any suspicious finds to the Bee Officer at their local SGRPID Area Office'.

If you are not sure of the biosecurity measures, or recognising the symptoms, use these links;

Apiary Hygiene Guidance
Fouldbrood Diseases (CSL)
Outbreak of EFB in Scotland
EFB Recognition and Management

More info as it comes.

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Beekeepers on alert as deadly disease found in Scots hives

By Jenny Haworth Scotman Date: 24 July 2009

BELEAGUERED beekeepers are witnessing an outbreak of a devastating disease that is spreading through Scotland.

European foulbrood – a bacterium that infests bee larvae – has taken hold in Perthshire and Angus, and experts fear Fife and Aberdeenshire are also at risk. Already about 100 hives have been burned due to infection by the deadly bacteria, which can be spotted by its distinctive rotten-fish smell.

It is the latest problem to beset beekeepers in Scotland, who have already struggled to cope with a series of wet summers, and infestations of varroa mite. Gavin Ramsay, bee diseases convener for the Scottish Beekeeping Association, said the European foulbrood outbreak was "potentially devastating". He added that it was the "biggest bee health issue to affect beekeeping in Scotland in recent years". "It looked like this was going to be a better year, but this has turned that on its head," he said.

The loss of the hives could have a serious impact on the livelihoods of commercial beekeepers, and also on the availability of Scottish honey. The bacteria, which kill bee larvae by colonising their guts, was first spotted by a commercial beekeeper in Alyth, near Perth, earlier this month. As a result 85 bee hives were burned. However, Mr Ramsay thinks the disease has probably been present for years and has previously gone undetected. "The hope was it was an isolated case. In Scotland it's something that appears from time to time every few years," he said.....

Read the whole article and comments at the Scotsman

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STV News Article and interview with beekeeper:

Scottish News

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Fury at slow response to ‘foot-and-mouth’ for Scottish Bees

Colonies at risk in Perthshire by Rob Edwards, Environment Editor, Sunday Herald, 26th July 2009.

THE GOVERNMENT'S poor response to a potentially devastating outbreak of disease among bees could disrupt food supplies, send businesses to the wall and end up making the disease endemic in Scotland, beekeepers have warned.

Scottish ministers have come under fierce attack for delays in issuing warnings about European Foulbrood, which is currently suspected of infecting thousands of hives. They are also accused of failing to plough enough resources into tackling the deadly disease.

"This is our foot-and-mouth," one angry beekeeper told the Sunday Herald. "I can't understand why they are dragging their heels. It's crazy."

The latest crisis comes on top of a series of mounting problems affecting bees..............

Read the whole article at the Sunday Herald

Web comment - it's a pretty scathing article about those who have a duty to the health of honeybees and beekeeping in Scotland. Fact is we have all the necessary organisations and personnel needed to maintain healthy populations of honeybees and a modern skilled beekeeping industry, but it's probably no great surprise to many beekeepers that this has occurred. No point in a witch hunt, but we need to look inward at how we arrived at this mess, what didn't work, why didn't it work, and more importantly how can we ensure this does not happen again. If it takes a complete review, restructure, and whole new approach, then that's what has to be done.

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