Health US approves world’s first vaccine for declining honey bees

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The US has approved use of the world's first vaccine for honey bees.

It was engineered to prevent fatalities from American foulbrood disease, a bacterial condition known to weaken colonies by attacking bee larvae.

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) approved a conditional license for the vaccine this week, according to the biotech firm behind its development.

As pollinators, bees play a critical role in many aspects of the ecosystem.

The vaccine could serve as a "breakthrough in protecting honey bees", Dalan Animal Health CEO Annette Kleiser said in a statement.

It works by introducing an inactive version of the bacteria into the royal jelly fed to the queen, whose larvae then gain immunity.

The US has seen annual reductions in honey bee colonies since 2006, according to the USDA.

The USDA says many, sometimes overlapping, factors threaten honey bee health, including parasites, pests and disease, as well as a phenomenon called Colony Collapse Disorder, which occurs when worker bees abandon a hive and leave behind the queen.

 
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