Honeybee-Specific Lactic Acid Bacterium Supplements Have No Effect on American Foulbrood-Infected Honeybee Colonies.

摘要: Paenibacillus larvae, the causative agent of American foulbrood (AFB), is primary bacterial pathogen affecting honeybees and beekeeping. The main methods for controlling AFB are incineration diseased colonies or prophylactic antibiotic treatment (e.g., with tylosin), neither which fully satisfactory. search superior means has led to an increased interest in natural relationships between honeybee-pathogenic mutualistic microorganisms and, particular, antagonistic effects honeybee-specific lactic acid bacteria (hbs-LAB) against P. larvae These have been demonstrated only on individual controlled laboratory bioassays. Here we investigated whether supplemental administration hbs-LAB had a similar beneficial effect infection at colony level. We compared experimentally AFB-infected treated supplements untreated tylosin-treated recorded symptoms, spore levels, two measures health. To account complexity bee colony, focused (Bayesian) probabilities magnitudes sizes. Tylosin reduced disease symptoms but also negative strength. tylosin did not, however, affect levels might therefore "mask" potential disease. tended reduce brood size short term was unlikely spores. results do not contradict level rather suggest that supplementary may be most effective way harness these level.IMPORTANCE previously honeybee-derived microbiota infectivity pathogenicity bioassays identified possible new approach control. However, honeybee complex superorganisms where social immune defenses play major role resistance Few studies diseases Effects observed necessarily translate into This study partially fills this gap by showing that, unlike level, inference mechanisms regulating microbial dynamics within too strong manipulate positively through feeding live remedies research tested thoroughly situ, colonies.