Dr. Tracy Farone

Technical Updates
By: Dr. Tracy Farone

It is mid-May here in the foothills of Pennsylvania. The locust trees are in full bloom. It looks like it will be a good year for them. “Good for the bees,” says the beekeeper voice in my head. The white-tailed deer have changed color into that beautiful reddish brown that pops out within the fresh, green backdrop of the woods. As my “barn” cat (but not really a barn cat), Sylvester, snoozes, stretched out at my feet, I just watched a doe trot away from a salt block 20 yards from my deck. I am a couple of days out from the end of the semester, time to take a breath…The last thing I want to think about is meetings, committees and the possible political acrobatics that go along with them.

I must admit I usually really hate meetings… “analysis paralysis,” pre-determined “communication,” hours of my life I will never get back, things “old” people do, and such. I have always thought it ironically funny that “committee” is the term for a gathering of vultures. But I am also appreciating the importance of voicing and hearing different perspectives on issues and how it’s extremely important in today’s world. And those that step up and serve on organizational committees are giving up their valuable time to contribute to important and ever on-going work.

As promised, I would like to give you an update and summary on a few exciting collaborations that have recently taken place and hopefully bring about positive relationships and outcomes between the beekeeping industry and veterinarians. The American Veterinary Medical Association’s (AVMA) Animal Agriculture Liaison Committee (AALC) Meeting was held at AVMA Headquarters in Schaumburg, IL May 3-4, 2023. I had the opportunity to be a “fly on the wall” at times as an alternate delegate via ZOOM for some of the meeting. The Honey Bee Health Coalition’s (HBHC) Annual Meeting in Sacramento, CA was held at the same time. Both meetings hosted veterinarians representing honey bee medicine for the FIRST time. All representatives were veterinarians also serving on the Honey Bee Veterinary Consortium (HBVC) board.

The American Veterinary Medical Association’s (AVMA) Animal Agriculture Liaison Committee (AALC) Meeting Summary:
I have been an alternate delegate representing honey bees on this committee for four to five months now. I am still trying to figure out the ropes, doing mostly listening (a benefit to being the alternate). I can say the committee is continually active with legislative consulting and policy considerations coming to my email box every other day. I can also say that the committee is absolutely enthralled to learn more about honey bees. As an alternate, I did not attend the meeting in person, but Dr. Terri Kane was there, near Chicago, representing. I jumped into the meeting via ZOOM when I could. Some other perspectives include those that represent veterinarians and producers in the areas of veterinary pharmacology, bovine, fish, aquatics, swine, small ruminants, sheep, public health, cattle, chickens, turkeys and the reproduction of animals, as well as government entities like the FDA and USDA.

Discussions include topics like, the Farm Bill; various drug regulation bills; protective measures for maintaining a safe food supply; humane guidelines in animal handling; policies for identifying, preventing, and controlling several current disease threats; and reports on current issues affecting each industry represented and any on-going actions in place. Our honey bee report included information on the progress made within the HBVC and multiple Colleges of Veterinary Medicine to increase honey bee related education of veterinarians and veterinary students to better serve the industry through grant projects, additional curriculum and certification programs for practicing veterinarians. I wish I could get into more detail, but I am bound by a non-disclosure agreement and a secret handshake (just kidding about the handshake). Maybe I will work on the handshake when I attend a meeting in the flesh.

The Honey Bee Health Coalition’s (HBHC) Annual Meeting Summary:
The stated purpose of the HBHC annual meeting is to “advance dialogue and action across workstreams in the priority areas of forage and nutrition, hive management and crop pest control.” Focuses included almond production, bee protection, The Bee Integrated Demonstration Project and building relationships within members. Drs. Kristol Stenstrom and Britteny Kyle represented veterinarians and the HBVC, a new member of the HBHC, again for the first time. Various reports were shared on the status of honey bees, pollinators and the industry from both the agricultural and conservational perspectives. Best practices and projects involving disease management, habitat management and pesticide use were working topics of discussion.

Next on the List: Euthanasia and Depopulation Procedures in Honey Bees.
The AVMA is extremely interested in learning more about recommendations and guidelines for euthanizing honey bee colonies in various situations, in the safest and most humane manner. Various situations include smaller verses larger operations, stationary hives, migratory hives, emergency de-population procedures, euthanasia for public safety reasons and euthanasia for disease mitigation reasons. AVMA recommendations and guidelines exist for nearly every type of animal that veterinarians work with, except honey bees. I have been asked to be part of a special sub-committee to consider, write up and present recommendations and guidelines to the AVMA. As we begin this work, I am open to reader’s suggestions on the topic. Oh boy… another committee, here we go!

Dr. Tracy Farone

State Apiarists and Veterinarians
By: Dr. Tracy Farone

Over the holidays, I had the opportunity to reach out to several State Apiarists to discuss ways they believe veterinarians could help to serve honey bees and the beekeeping industry. Joan Mahoney, the State Apiculturist for the New York’s Department of Agriculture; Barbara Bloetscher, State Apiarist for the Ohio Department of Agriculture; and Kim Skyrm, Chief Apiary Inspector for the State of Massachusetts’s Department of Agricultural Resources (with contribution help from the entire MA Bee team: Paul Tessier, Shay Willette and Jessica Glover) all graciously agreed to share their thoughts on the matter. I asked a few basic questions, but we also touched on a few more sensitive subjects. I was excited to listen to what they had to say, give my two ears and (mostly) keep my mouth shut for a month.

Q1. Are there any existing collaborations between state apiculturists and veterinarians in your State in the care and treatment of honey bees?
Joan – Yes, when beekeepers request antibiotics to treat non-symptomatic colonies exposed to American Foulbrood (AFB), the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets refers them to veterinarians who are able to provide the necessary prescription.

Barb and Hailey (vet student) inspecting. Photo credit: Barb Bloetscher

Barb – The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine has invited me and The Ohio State University State Apiculturist to give talks to the veterinary students who are interested in the apiary program. Both undergraduate and veterinary students have invited us to speak to their clubs and participate in the OSU Food Animal Medicine Student Symposium Hands-On Workshop- Wet lab they have in early Spring. I have also spoken at the Midwest Veterinary Conference on honey bee diseases. OSU offers an externship for graduating veterinary students to experience areas of interest. Thanks to one persistent student, the OSU Apiculturist and I have “shared” one or two students each season three different years. The intern works with the Apiculturist on different studies and spends a day or two with me in the field, inspecting colonies. They have all commented on how much they appreciated the opportunity.

Kim – Yes! Apiarists or Apiary Inspectors visit beekeepers to perform health inspections of honey bee colonies and used equipment. If during an inspection, the inspector discovers visual symptoms of European Foulbrood (EFB), then a sample is taken from the colony and sent to the lab for analysis. Inspectors provide a report of the findings from the inspection and the lab provides results for the sample directly to the beekeeper. If lab analysis confirms the presence of EFB, then inspectors recommend treatment using an antibiotic. To obtain the antibiotic, inspectors instruct the beekeeper to contact a local veterinarian and provide the documentation received from the inspection including the report and lab analysis. The veterinarian then meets with the beekeeper and establishes a veterinary-client-patient relationship (VCPR) and issues a prescription for the antibiotic to the beekeeper. The inspector and the veterinarian follow up with the beekeeper to ensure the medication was successful and EFB controlled. As part of their role, Apiary Inspectors must ensure compliance for the treatment and management of contagious or infectious diseases and EFB is typically listed as a regulated disease.

One area we feel has expedited this process is that we supply beekeepers with free sample kits that provide the materials and instructions they need to take samples for EFB/AFB, Varroa mites/Nosema from their colonies and send directly to labs for analysis. This has really sped up disease detection and diagnostic services in our state. We started this component of our program services in 2018 and it has been so well received and popular in our state that we have given out over 3,000 of these to date for beekeeper use. In addition to supporting our program in finding incidences of health issues, it has also allowed veterinarians to get quick lab analysis for samples to enable them to respond faster when needed.

Q2. What services from veterinarians could be of the most assistance to State Apiculturists? To beekeepers/the beekeeping industry? Could you use some help BEYOND providing VFDs and prescriptions for three antibiotics?

Veterinarian beekeeper talk at Betterbee in NY. Photo credit: Joan Mahoney

Joan – With the development of vaccines for AFB and RNAi treatments for varroa mites on the horizon, greater veterinary involvement will be beneficial to beekeepers.

Barb – It would be very helpful for beekeeping organizations such as ABF, AHPA, HBHC and all State and local beekeeping associations to have a vet on their board and as a speaker every year. We would like veterinarians to explain their role in prescribing VFD’s for bees and the reasons that the FDA is taking this role more seriously. The Honey Bee Veterinary Consortium provides names of veterinarians who work with beekeepers, but I don’t think it is widely known. In addition, every vet school should invite bee knowledgeable veterinarians to share ideas and solutions.

I have witnessed beekeepers spend several hours teaching a veterinarian basic beekeeping knowledge only to have the veterinarian charge him for the vet’s time. Seems like it should be the other way around! I think beekeepers and the veterinarians need to understand each other’s perspectives so that we can work together better.

Kim – Our biggest challenge is finding veterinarians who can assist beekeepers in accessing the antibiotics necessary for the treatment of EFB. There are only a few veterinarians who are aware of the existence of apiary programs and the prescription needs for beekeepers. My suggestion is that if you are an interested veterinarian, please advertise your willingness to be of service to the beekeeping community by contacting local bee groups and sharing your information with them as well as on the “Find a Bee Vet” listing on the Honey Bee Veterinary Consortium website. We have been lucky in Massachusetts to have a few veterinarians who have been willing to take on this role and “bee” diligent about responding quickly to beekeeper needs and providing support, but we have a lot of beekeepers, and these wonderful veterinarians could use additional support too!

AFB/EFB kits Kim Skyrm provides to beekeepers to take samples. Photo courtesy of Kim Skyrm.

Q3. Beyond possible antibiotic treatment for AFB and EFB, do you think it is important for veterinarians to have a solid understanding of honey bee management, biology, nutrition and pathology to serve these animals and beekeepers?
Joan – Yes, in New York, we recognize that veterinarians should understand honey bee health and have been working to educate and train veterinarians. Dr. Scott McArt, PhD, from Cornell University and Dr. Christopher Cripps, DMV from Betterbee have been working together, along with Drs. Robin and Rolfe Radcliffe, DMV and Dr. David Peck, PhD, to hold workshops aimed at giving our veterinarians a solid understanding of honey bee management and diseases. Additionally, Cornell has added curriculum in their College of Veterinary Medicine to ensure that honey bees are part of veterinary training.

Barb – Yes, I see the need for veterinarians to show beekeepers why prophylactic use of antibiotics hurts the honey bee industry by weakening the bees and spreading disease to other apiaries. Some State Apiary Inspection Programs do not receive the support needed to stop the spread of AFB and EFB. If the veterinarians can also guide beekeepers toward proper use of antibiotics and to burn, when necessary, it would help support the state programs.

Kim – We do not recommend antibiotic treatment for AFB – this pathogen is too virulent and pathogenic to be treated – infected colonies should be destroyed. Honey bees are no different from any other managed animal in that they require care; therefore, veterinarians are uniquely suited to partner with beekeepers to provide support. It is imperative that veterinarians have a working knowledge of honey bee management, biology, nutrition and pathology to best assist these amazing organisms and the beekeepers who manage them for pleasure and profit. I have always found both beekeepers and veterinarians to bee as (com)passionate and fascinated with the art and science of beekeeping as well as intent to ensure bee health and sustainability of the population.

Q4. In some States, honey bees and State Apiculturists are housed in the Plant Division or Bureau of the Department of Agriculture. Do you think there could be any benefit for honey bees to be classified as animals (by State governments)? Could this realignment bring more attention, recognized status and possible funding to honey bees as an agricultural animal or would that cause too many bureaucratic issues?
Joan – In New York we have explored this. After the recent retirement of our director of the Division of Animal Industry and a new incoming director, we discussed the move but thought it best to continue to house honey bee work in the Division of Plant Industry. The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets is a small agency, so communication between divisions is continuous.

Barb – Oh boy, I don’t think I know enough of the politics to answer this, but honey bees are livestock, and are maintained as livestock. Maintaining healthy colonies is crucial for agriculture so perhaps the beekeeping industry would be taken more seriously and receive funding from multiple sources. Through time, these programs evolve and move around. No doubt when the apiary programs were first developed, the plant industry was mostly agricultural and the bees are the means to achieve a yield, so being in the plant division made sense.

Kim Skyrm inspecting nucs. Photo courtesy of Kim Skyrm

Kim – You may have heard the recent California ruling that bees are now classified as “animals” (i.e., fish). In short, yes, for some states/territories there are many benefits to classifying bees and insects under the umbrella of “animal”. The need for this depends on the language in each state/territory legislature. Ultimately, the root of this question is about support. Honey bees, beekeepers who manage them and veterinarians who provide support would all benefit if Apiary Programs across the country were more adequately funded with a sustainable budget and full-time staff. This would not only allow for better services to beekeepers but also a team of folks working together (including veterinarians) who are focused on honey bee health full time, year-round. Getting the word out about the vital role of Apiary Programs and the services they provide is hard given that budgets are never static, and bees should always be considered a top priority. Honey bees and beekeepers deserve attention now and, in the future!

Q5. Do you think there is a way to correct, modernize and update honey bee diseases’ focuses to realize the current and actual threat level of all diseases in honey bees to create more support in staff and funding? (i.e., CCD and AFB playing a lesser overall role with Varroa, viruses, nutrition, Nosema, etc. gaining larger and additional attention).
Joan – Yes. This year in New York State, we saw a decrease in AFB; however, varroa mite losses, coupled with viruses and drought conditions, are expected to lead to many more colony losses than AFB. We need to focus on beekeeper education and continued development of queens with resistant, hygienic traits. Such traits have been shown to reduce varroa levels and virus levels, as well as AFB infections.

Barb – Education is the key. We need to teach and emphasize the best strategy to solve beekeeping problems and lead people to the best resources so that they are less tempted to “go fishing” online. Beekeepers don’t consider varroa mites to be the serious vector that it is. We may consider AFB to be serious, but since “everyone” has varroa, it is just a problem that constantly hinders our success. As long as 40% of our colonies are dying every year, it is obvious that varroa needs to be monitored all season and treated with labeled products as needed. Varroa control should be a priority in colony management.

Kim Skyrm taking samples of deadout. Photo courtesy of Kim Skyrm

Kim – Knowledge and exposure is key. No other entity inspects more honey bee colonies, visits more beekeepers, submits more lab samples or communicates with the beekeeping community than Apiary Inspectors. Keep in mind that many of the major honey bee health issues were also initially discovered by Apiary Inspectors or collaborators working closely with these entities. Given this, I always say if you want to know about honey bee health in your area, talk with an Apiary Inspector. “My” responses were a whole hive effort from the entire MA Bee team: Paul Tessier, Shay Willette and Jessica Glover!

Q6. How would you like to see apiculturists and veterinarians work together to serve beekeepers in the future. What do you think is ideal… possible… and practical?
Joan – Apiculturists and veterinarians should keep lines of communication open and provide each other with regular updates. Apiary inspectors should continue conducting inspections with veterinarians serving as a resource and providing guidance and medical services as needed.

Barb – I think the first step is to communicate more. I would like to have veterinarians attend beekeeping meetings and speak, or at least have a booth to answer questions.

The perception is that veterinarians have not been taught the importance of managed honey bees. Mammal livestock and poultry have been considered the important “animal” livestock and where the money is. Honey bees were seen as a production agriculture input and not as a vitally important industry. Beekeepers do not promote themselves well as livestock managers but if you think about it, beekeepers make up for losses by making splits. You can’t do that with animals. If growers lost 40% of their herd, we would all be in serious trouble, yet statistics show that beekeepers continue to lose 40% of their colonies every year. This is not a sustainable practice. We don’t get ahead, we just stay “even”.

The comments I have heard from hobby, sideliner and big commercial beekeepers is that beekeepers have been their own “veterinarians” since the beginning of beekeeping. They have “done everything a veterinarian would do” (with the help of USDA, Universities and dumb luck). “Why do ‘we’ need a real veterinarian when we know more than they do?” We need to communicate this issue so that both parties understand how we can work together to improve beekeeping biosecurity. Honey bees have the potential to be flying pest/pathogen carriers as colonies are moved around the state and the country. We all have the same goal – to maintain healthy colonies. Beekeepers need to be able to recognize serious bee diseases, as do veterinarians. We need to know when to use antibiotics and when to burn.

The beekeeping industry needs to be universally recognized as being critical to pollinating our food supply. With veterinarians assisting with maintaining strong colonies and stressing the importance of using them to produce optimal crop yield, I think organizations and growers will realize how much we depend on the beekeeping industry.

Shay Willette and David Saleh inspecting nucs. Photo courtesy of Kim Skyrm.

Kim – Ideally, every state/territory would have a fully funded and staffed Apiary Program. Apiary Inspectors would provide inspection services and lab analysis for beekeepers and collaborate with veterinarians to ensure honey bee health is maintained regarding the use of antibiotics. Every state/territory would have a list of several eager veterinarians who have advertised their availability and willingness to provide services to the beekeeping community. Veterinarians would work collaboratively with apiarists to monitor honey bee health, support beekeepers real time and follow up to ensure that recommendations and treatments were successful.

Possibly and practically, apiarists would inspect beekeepers and provide recommendations and veterinarians would assist with prescription and treatment plans. It’s fairly simple in the need and execution of these roles but could be complex in the ability of states/territories to direct funding and visibility to ensure these groups are able to collaborate and provide service.

I appreciate these knowledgeable folks sharing their input and experiences! Thanks Kim, Joan and Barb! For me, they are largely preaching to the choir, and I can happily say that in the last five years, I have personally witnessed positive strides in many of the concerns they bring up. However, we still have some things to figure out, improvements to be made and some time to pass to appreciate current investments. I believe this is a conversation that will continue to develop into the future. Like most things, it’s all about developing positive relationships and accomplishing common goals.

A Couple of Resources:
List of State Apiarists: https://www.blueskybeesupply.com/state-apiarists/ Accessed 12/28/22.
Apiary Inspectors of America (AIA) https://apiaryinspectors.org/

Dr. Tracy Farone

A Seat at the Table
By: Dr. Tracy Farone

This month, I have exciting news to share with the honey bee industry!

The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), which has over 100,000 member veterinarians, have a variety of Committees that report to the AVMA Board of Directors, including the Animal Agriculture Liaison Committee (AALC). After years of advocacy from members of the Honey Bee Veterinary Consortium (HBVC) and AVMA staff (shout out to Dr. Michael Costin, Dr. Terry Kane and Dr. Kristin Clark), the AALC will have a delegate veterinarian representing honey bees for the first time starting this year. The AALC consists of seats of representatives of other animal species like cattle, swine, chickens, etc. that veterinarians typically serve. Honey bees and their industry now have a delegate sitting on this committee to represent them. Dr. Terry Kane, DVM has been appointed to be the first primary HBVC delegate on the AALC, and I have been appointed as the alternate delegate.

Honey bees are a big part of agriculture

The AALC activities include reviewing AVMA policy, reviewing and drafting positions on proposed state and federal legislation, developing new AVMA resources and reports, as well as participating in and developing presentations for various stakeholders. The AALC acts as a liaison between the AVMA Board and the producers and other stakeholders, to identify mutual concerns and working to strengthen relationships, while providing veterinary expertise1. The charge of the Committee is stated as follows:

1. “Identify present and future issues of mutual concern to the veterinary profession and the producers of food products derived from animals.
2. Strengthen relationships between AVMA and organizations related to animal agriculture.
3. Improve communications and the flow of information among animal agriculture organizations inside and outside AVMA to support AVMA’s decision-making process.
4. Provide expertise and content in the area of animal agriculture for the AVMA and serve as a primary resource for matters associated with animal agriculture.
5. Advise on and develop animal agriculture policy and recommendations for submission to the AVMA Board of Directors.” (AVMA Animal Agricultural Liaison Committee. https://www.avma.org/membership/volunteering-avma/councils-committees-task-forces-and-trusts/animal-agriculture-liaison-committee. Accessed December 19th, 2022.)

A new guard for the industry

Representatives from the following organizations are often involved in AALC meetings to provide their organization’s perspective on animal health and welfare issues. These organizations include: U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS); U.S. Food and Drug Administration Center for Veterinary Medicine (FDA-CVM); U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA-FSIS); USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA-APHIS); USDA-Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service (USDA-CSREES). 1AVMA Animal Agricultural Liaison Committee. https://www.avma.org/membership/volunteering-avma/councils-committees-task-forces-and-trusts/animal-agriculture-liaison-committee. Accessed December 19th, 2022.)

A new seat at the table

I have often talked with beekeepers lamenting about lack of recognition of their industry given the importance of honey bees, often with the bulk of the attention, concern and funding focused on other agricultural animal industries. I believe giving honey bees a seat at this table is an important step to leveling some attention to the industry to look at disease, public health and environmental health issues affecting the industry. I look forward to learning more about how this process works over the next three years of my term and I will do my best to give you updates on any progress that is made.

Dr. Tracy Farone

Emerging Diseases in Honey Bees
By: Dr. Tracy Farone

As a Pennsylvania girl, I grew up with rabies. Clearly, I do not mean I had the disease rabies, but that this deadly disease was all around me – endemic in our mammalian wildlife population. We, Pennsylvanians, knew how to handle it. We took our dogs and the cats we could catch to the rabies clinic, and at a young age, we were pulled aside for “the talk.” The talk went something like this: “If you see a weird raccoon or groundhog in the yard, do not touch it, but call mom or dad to come shoot it.” End of talk and end of report. You can imagine my surprise (and several of my PA classmates’ surprise) when during our freshmen year in veterinary school, Ohio was freaking out about rabies, like it was a new thing. Well, it was new to them. In the mid-1990’s Ohio had their first reported case of rabies in terrestrial (non-bat) wildlife. Us Pennsylvanians just blinked, shrugged and were like, “Wow, they didn’t have rabies in the State, at all? I suppose they’ll have to learn the talk.” To this day, government programs distribute rabies vaccine baits by throwing them out of airplanes and trucks along the Ohio Pennsylvania border, in hopes of vaccinating rogue raccoons that may enter the State from the Commonwealth. However, rabies is now considered endemic in wildlife populations in Eastern Ohio.

There are countless case studies and lessons about the emergence and spread of different diseases in humans and animals throughout the world over time. Honey bees are no exception. Consider what is currently going on in Australia with emerging parasites, Varroa and the Braula fly. We naturally want to do anything we can do to eradicate diseases from the face of the Earth, however actual eradication is almost never a true reality. In previous Bee Vet articles, I defined emerging diseases and explained three levels of disease management. I provide a couple of summary reviews here, especially since I have seen incorrect use of the words in the literature and news reports.

Braula fly

Review (From BC September 2020 issue, Bee Vet: Tropilaelosis)
“Emerging infectious diseases are infections that have recently and newly appeared in a population of humans or animals. Emerging diseases often arise when they are brought into new geographical ranges and/or species. Some causes of emerging disease may not have been previously known, while others may already be known, and pose a serious threat, if they are able to increase their geographic range… Many emerging diseases often originate from “foreign” or “exotic” diseases (or newly named “transboundary diseases”). Foreign, exotic, or transboundary diseases are diseases that naturally exist in a certain country, continent or areas of the world, but may cross borders, continents and/or oceans to infect new regions. If allowed to move into new geographical areas, foreign diseases can emerge in a population with little natural immunity against the disease agent. Therefore, these diseases can cause high morbidity and/or mortality when introduced to the new population of animals or humans. In our modern world, international trade, migrations and travel often accommodates hitch-hiking diseases and pests.”

(From BC March 2022 issue, Bee Vet: Immunity, Vaccines & Honey Bees: Part 1)
“1. Eradication of disease: This means there is no active disease left in the population on Earth! This is an extremely rare accomplishment, which has only occurred twice in the history of man or beast out of the thousands of known diseases that inflict us… (Smallpox and Rinderpest)
2. Elimination of disease: Elimination means a previously existing disease is no longer present in a population in a certain geographical area, but it’s still present in other parts of the world. Examples of diseases eliminated from the United States include yellow fever, polio and malaria. This does not mean that the disease cannot reemerge in the area if precautionary measures are ignored…
3. Control of disease: Control of a disease means that the disease is still present in a population, but it is reduced and manageable within the health care system, has a relatively low mortality rate, and/or has become endemic. This is the typical expectation and usually what happens with most diseases and vaccine use.”
Now for some new learning…

Considerations in population medicine
Population medicine or herd medicine are terms that we use to describe the concepts of looking at disease management from a group perspective. Sometimes this group is a single herd, yard or flock of animals, sometimes it could be the entire human population of a country or even the world. There are certain fundamental principles that should be applied in population medicine challenges.
1. Understand the methods of spread of the disease: To effectively develop controls for the spread of disease, we must fully understand the way(s) the disease is transmitted. For example: Managing sexually transmitted diseases verses managing aerosol transmitted diseases would demand different protocols and recommendations.
2. Understanding origin and scope: The origin (geography and species) of a disease can clarify the natural epidemiology of the disease, so we may be better able to recognize symptoms, transmission methods and expected morbidity and mortality of the disease. Knowing the existing geographical scope and incidence within human or animal populations is important to evaluate, as managing isolated verses global cases is very different.
3. Understand we are limited by our diagnostics: Surveillance testing is a key component to monitoring possible emerging diseases or changes in diseases’ incidence and is appropriate before and at the beginning of an outbreak. If you do not test for something you will not find it, but if you do test for something you are likely to find it… sooner or later. This can be a double-edged sword. How much information is necessary to switch surveillance to management? “Contact-tracing” may be helpful in the initial stages of an outbreak but over time, the lines on the map just merge into one big blob.
No testing methods are perfect. All diagnostics are subject to sensitivity (positive results are truly positive cases) and specificity (negative results are truly negative cases) percentages. We also know that the “first” positive case we find of a disease in an area is actually an indication that the disease is already there…maybe for a while.

Australia

4. Geography and weather may play a role. In considering geography, islands often have the unique benefit of isolation that can make disease-free areas more possible. Many islands, like Australia and Hawaii, may have very strict biosecurity laws at ports of entry to keep diseases at bay, for good reason. After the land is breeched however, oceans no longer serve as a barrier. With the globalization of our world, natural and man-made geographical barriers to disease are becoming less and less effective in keeping pathogens in-place.
Natural weather patterns can encourage disease emergence or not. For example, many diseases thrive in warm, humid conditions, while cold Winters may limit the scope of a disease.
5. Does it matter? Sometimes finding something may be incidental. Is it worth doing something about it? For example, during my tick studies we identified a tick species that had not been clearly identified (at least in the official literature) in Pennsylvania before. This was an interesting finding but of little significance to our study because the tick we found is not considered a vector of disease in humans.

Varroa mother mite. Photo credit: Alex Wild

6. Is it even possible to eliminate? We know that true “eradication” is almost impossible for diseases in general. Elimination has been achieved before for certain diseases, but it often requires a non or mildly contagious disease with the employment of intense measures, including: isolation of infected populations, culling of (animal) infected populations and highly effective vaccinations. Expecting the disease to become endemic may be the most realistic and best hope. Expecting, equipping and employing “control” measures early within a vulnerable population may lessen the impact of the disease as it moves through a population from an epidemic to endemic stage.
7. Above all else, do no harm. The “cure” should never be worse than the disease. The morbidity (rate of illness) and mortality (rate of death) should be considered when applying disease management protocols and making recommendations. Social, emotional and economic impacts of a disease response should also be weighed in any decision making.

Present Australian emergence examples: Varroa and Braula fly
My heart goes out to Australian beekeepers who are currently attempting to stop the spread of Varroa mites, which were detected on the island continent for the first time at the Port of New Castle, New South Wales in June 2022. Australia has admirable biosecurity guidelines for honey bees and up until this point, have amazingly, enjoyed a Varroa-free industry. However, I am afraid the Australians are about to join the rest of the world and will have to learn to manage Varroa mite infestations within their hives.

Currently, the Australian government is trying to prevent further spread of the mites into the country by issuing lockdowns of hives, restricting sale of honey, tracing possible contacts and euthanizing/burning of all hives within designated and increasing geographical radiuses. The result is the loss of thousands of hives, millions in economic losses in hive, honey and pollination resources, conflict within the industry and a devastating emotional toll on bee farmers, all with the Australian Spring just starting. Despite these efforts, each of the latest news reports I read only convey further spread. Given the facts that Varroa has made landfall in Australia, mites reproduce exponentially, honey bees fly and swarm and the history of Varroa spread around the globe, I do not see elimination as a realistic outcome. (Given that the lead time on BC articles is about two months, I suppose we will see how prophetic this article may or may not become.) Time for the employment of the control and management phase of Varroa mites has come to the continent.

Controls must be employed in the management of Varroa.

In the U.S., we know that Varroa is a major contributor to the 40%-45% annual loss of our hives. However, a closer look at the data will show that commercial beekeepers experience at least half the annual loss of hives compared to the average of all beekeepers. Given that burning hives has a 100% mortality and 100% economic loss, one must consider that accepting Varroa as a portion of a 20-30% annual loss, at some point, becomes a better alternative.

Here’s some good news for Australian beekeepers. The rest of us have been managing Varroa for decades, we have learned a lot and have many tools in the toolbox. It has not been easy, but American and European (largely commercial) beekeepers have maintained our total colony numbers over the last several decades despite Varroa. Our beekeepers and honey bees are still able to support the top agricultural and honey producing countries in the world. We can and should come alongside Australian beekeepers with empathy in learning how to detect, manage and treat Varroa mites within their colonies. I believe the Australian government is aiding beekeepers with financial support for their losses. Mental and emotional health support should also be part of the recovery plan.

Another interesting development is the additional new finding of the Braula fly during surveillance for Varroa mites in Victoria. Remember, when you look for something, you may find it and maybe even find something else. While Braula is certainly less of a threat to honey bees than Varroa, they can damage honey and comb. Because Braula tends to hang out on the queen, this wingless fly could be transmitted through queen trade.

Disease management expectations differ for flying animals. Photo Credit: Alex Wild

What’s next?!
I wish I could tell you there are no more diseases that will emerge in honey bees. The Asian giant hornets, large hive beetles, Tropilaelaps are all on the horizon. My best advice… Do not give up on biosecurity. You may not be able to control what everybody else does or everything the bees do, but you can at least control what you bring in and out of your own yard. And remember, do not play with weird raccoons.

References:
Braula Fly: Honan, Kim. “Exotic bee parasite braula fly detected in NSW as fight against Varroa mite continues.” ABC Rural News. 4 Sept 2022. Accessed 9-7-2022.
Australia Government related information: https://www.business.qld.gov.au/industries/farms-fishing-forestry/agriculture/land-management/health-pests-weeds-diseases/pests/invasive-animals/prohibited/Varroa-mite https://www.publications.qld.gov.au/ckan-publications-attachments-prod/resources/ce5ee5c7-afb4-4851-9eca-3151e0652e2d/movement-and-control-order-notice.pdf?ETag=032df6531983fc5e905e7108a6a4892e Accessed 9-7-2022.
Maps of Varroa outbreaks in Australia: https://www.9news.com.au/national/nsw-Varroa-mite-outbreak-five-more-infestations-detected-inside-port-stephens-newcastle-zone/b002669b-8bb2-447b-8c02-64e56005f01f Accessed 9-7-2022.
Randy Oliver’s take: https://scientificbeekeeping.com/the-Varroa-incursion-in-australia-4-july-2022/ Accessed 7-4-2022.
Australia map: https://duckduckgo.com/?q=tasmania&t=newext&atb=v255-1&ia=web&iaxm=about Accessed 9-7-2022.