The world's first vaccine for honeybees has been granted a conditional license in the US, a massive breakthrough in the protection of these insects critical for food production. The vaccine, developed by a US biotech company Dalan Animal Health, will protect honeybees against American Foulbrood disease.
With one-third of the global food supply relying on pollination, healthy commercial hives are essential to secure high crop yields, a press release by Dalan read. Until now, the only treatment method used against the disease was incineration of bees and infected hives.
"Our vaccine is a breakthrough in protecting honeybees," Dr. Annette Kleiser, CEO of Dalan Animal Health said. "We are committed to providing innovative solutions to protect our pollinators and promote sustainable agriculture. Global population growth and changing climates will increase the importance of honeybee pollination to secure our food supply."
The US Department of Agriculture has issued the conditional license for two years. Dalan will distribute the vaccine on a limited basis to commercial beekeepers and anticipates having the vaccine available for purchase in the US this year.
The vaccine is administered by mixing it into queen feed which is consumed by worker bees, which is then incorporated into the royal jelly by them who then feed it to the queen. She ingests it, and fragments of the vaccine are deposited in her ovaries. Having been exposed to the vaccine, the developing larvae have immunity as they hatch.
Dalan intends to use this approach to develop vaccines for other honeybee diseases and underserved industries, such as shrimp, mealworms, and insects used in agriculture
