Infection of honey bees with  Melissococcus plutonius  (European foulbrood)

Article 9.3.1.

General provisions

For the purposes of the Terrestrial Code, European foulbrood is a disease of the larval and pupal stages of honey bees (species of the genus Apis), caused by Melissococcusplutonius (M.plutonius), a non-sporulating bacterium, which is widely distributed. Subclinical infections are common and require laboratory diagnosis. Infection remains enzootic because of mechanical contamination of the honeycombs. Recurrences of disease can therefore be expected in subsequent years.

When authorising import or transit of the commodities covered in the chapter, with the exception of those listed in Article 9.3.2., Veterinary Authorities should require the conditions prescribed in this chapter relevant to the European foulbrood status of the honey bee population of the exporting country or zone.

Standards for diagnostic tests are described in the Terrestrial Manual.

Article 9.3.2.

Safe commodities

When authorising import or transit of the following commodities, Veterinary Authorities should not require any European foulbrood-related conditions, regardless of the European foulbrood status of the honey bee population of the exporting country or zone:

1. honey bee semen;

2. honey bee venom.

Article 9.3.3.

Determination of the European foulbrood status of a country or zone

The European foulbrood status of a country or zone can only be determined after considering the following criteria:

1. a risk assessment has been conducted, identifying all potential factors for European foulbrood occurrence and their historic perspective;

2. European foulbrood is notifiable in the whole country or zone, and all clinical signs suggestive of European foulbrood are subjected to field and laboratory investigations;

3. an ongoing awareness programme is in place to encourage reporting of all cases suggestive of European foulbrood;

4. the Veterinary Authority or other Competent Authority with responsibility for reporting and control of diseases of honey bees has current knowledge of, and authority over, all apiaries in the whole country.

Article 9.3.4.

Country or zone free from European foulbrood

1. Historically free status

   A country or zone may be considered free from the disease after conducting a risk assessment as referred to in Article 9.3.3. but without formally applying a specific surveillance programme if the country or zone complies with Chapter 1.4.

2. Free status as a result of an eradication programme

   A country or zone which does not meet the conditions of point 1) above may be considered free from European foulbrood after conducting a risk assessment as referred to in Article 9.3.3. and when:

   1. the Veterinary Authority or other Competent Authority with responsibility for reporting and control of diseases of honey bees has current knowledge of, and authority over, all domesticated apiaries existing in the country or zone;

   2. European foulbrood is notifiable in the whole country or zone, and any clinical cases suggestive of European foulbrood are subjected to field and laboratory investigations;

   3. for the three years following the last reported isolation of the European foulbrood agent, an annual survey supervised by the Veterinary Authority or other Competent Authority, with no positive results, have been carried out on a representative sample of apiaries in the country or zone to provide a confidence level of at least 95% of detecting European foulbrood if at least 1% of the apiaries were infected at a within-apiary prevalence rate of at least 5% of the hives; such surveys may be targeted towards areas with the last reported isolation of the European foulbrood agent;

   4. to maintain free status, an annual survey supervised by the Veterinary Authority or other Competent Authority, with no positive results, is carried out on a representative sample of hives in the country or zone to indicate that there has been no new isolations; such surveys may be targeted towards areas with a higher likelihood of isolation;

   5. either there is no wild or self-sustaining feral population of species of the genus Apis in the country or zone, or there is an ongoing surveillance programme of the wild or self-sustaining feral population of species of the genus Apis which demonstrates no evidence of the presence of the disease in the country or zone;

   6. the importation of the commodities listed in this chapter into the country or zone is carried out in accordance with the recommendations of this chapter.

Article 9.3.5.

Recommendations for the importation of live queen, worker and drone honey bees with or without associated brood combs

Veterinary Authorities of importing countries should require the presentation of an international veterinary certificate attesting that:

1. the honey bees come from apiaries situated in a country or zone free from European foulbrood; or

2. the shipment comprises only honey bees without associated brood combs and:

   1. the honey bees come from apiaries meeting the conditions prescribed in Article 4.14.5.; and

   2. the apiaries where the honey bees come from are situated in the centre of an area with a radius of 3 kilometres where there has been no outbreak of European foulbrood during the past 30 days.

Article 9.3.6.

Recommendations for the importation of eggs, larvae and pupae of honey bees

Veterinary Authorities of importing countries should require the presentation of an international veterinary certificate attesting that the commodities:

1. come from apiaries situated in a country or zone free from European foulbrood; or

2. have been isolated from queens in a quarantine station, and all workers which accompanied the queen or a representative sample of eggs or larvae were examined for the presence of M. plutonius by bacterial culture or PCR in accordance with the Terrestrial Manual.

Article 9.3.7.

Recommendations for the importation of used apicultural equipment

Veterinary Authorities of importing countries should require the presentation of an international veterinary certificate attesting that the equipment:

1. comes from apiaries situated in a country or zone free from European foulbrood; or

2. was sterilised under the supervision of the Veterinary Authority in accordance with one of the following procedures:

   1. by immersion in 0.5% sodium hypochlorite for at least 20 minutes (suitable only for non-porous materials such as plastic and metal); or

   2. by irradiation with 15 kilogray; or

   3. by any procedure of equivalent efficacy recognised by the Veterinary Authorities of the importing and exporting countries.

Article 9.3.8.

Recommendations for the importation of honey, honey bee-collected pollen, beeswax, propolis and royal jelly for use in apiculture

Veterinary Authorities of importing countries should require the presentation of an international veterinary certificate attesting that the commodities:

1. come from apiaries situated in a country or zone free from European foulbrood; or

2. have been processed to ensure the destruction of M. plutonius by irradiation with 15 kilogray or any procedure of equivalent efficacy recognised by the Veterinary Authorities of the importing and exporting countries; or

3. have been found free of M. plutonius by a test method described in the relevant chapter of the Terrestrial Manual.

Article 9.3.9.

Recommendations for the importation of honey, honey bee-collected pollen, beeswax, propolis and royal jelly for human consumption

Veterinary Authorities of importing countries free from European foulbrood should require the presentation of an international veterinary certificate attesting that the commodities:

1. come from apiaries situated in a country or zone free from European foulbrood; or

2. have been processed to ensure the destruction of M. plutonius by irradiation with 15 kilogray or any procedure of equivalent efficacy recognised by the Veterinary Authorities of the importing and exporting countries; or

3. have been found free of M. plutonius by a test method described in the relevant chapter of the Terrestrial Manual.

nb: first adopted in 1982; most recent update adopted in 2013.