<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>The bacterium <italic>Melissococcus plutonius</italic> is the etiologic agent of the European foulbrood (EFB), one of the most harmful bacterial diseases that causes the larvae of bees to have an intestinal infection. Although EFB has been known for more than a century and is practically present in all countries where beekeeping is practiced, the disease has been little studied compared to American foulbrood. Recently, great advances have been made to understand the disease and the interaction between the pathogen and its host. This review summarizes the research and advances to understand the disease. First, the morphological characteristics of <italic>M. plutonius</italic>, the infection process and bacterial development in the gut of the larva are described. Also, the epidemiological distribution of EFB and factors that favor the development of the disease as well as the classification of <italic>M. plutonius</italic> according its genomic and phenotype characteristics are reported. Finally, the new molecular tools for the study of <italic>M. plutonius</italic>, possible virulence factors in its genome, the issue of current EFB control measures and possible alternatives to the use of antibiotics are addressed.</p></abstract>

The bacterium Melissococcus plutonius is the etiologic agent of the European foulbrood (EFB), one of the most harmful bacterial diseases that causes the larvae of bees to have an intestinal infection. Although EFB has been known for more than a century and is practically present in all countries where beekeeping is practiced, the disease has been little studied compared to American foulbrood. Recently, great advances have been made to understand the disease and the interaction between the pathogen and its host. This review summarizes the research and advances to understand the disease. First, the morphological characteristics of M. plutonius, the infection process and bacterial development in the gut of the larva are described. Also, the epidemiological distribution of EFB and factors that favor the development of the disease as well as the classification of M. plutonius according its genomic and phenotype characteristics are reported. Finally, the new molecular tools for the study of M. plutonius, possible virulence factors in its genome, the issue of current EFB control measures and possible alternatives to the use of antibiotics are addressed.

Pathogenesis, Epidemiology and Variants of <italic>Melissococcus plutonius</italic> (<italic>Ex</italic> White), the Causal Agent of European Foulbrood

Journal of Apicultural Science

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Pathogenesis, Epidemiology and Variants of  ( White), the Causal Agent of European Foulbrood

The bacterium Melissococcus plutonius is the etiologic agent of the European foulbrood (EFB), one of the most harmful bacterial diseases that causes the larvae...

Pathogenesis, Epidemiology and Variants of Melissococcus plutonius (Ex White), the Causal Agent of European Foulbrood

Article Category: Review paper

Published Online: Dec 18, 2020

Page range: 173 - 188

Received: Jan 17, 2020

Accepted: Aug 27, 2020

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/jas-2020-0030

Keywords
European foulbrood disease, pathogenesis, virulence

© 2020 Adrián Ponce de León-Door et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Pathogenesis, Epidemiology and Variants of Melissococcus plutonius (Ex White), the Causal Agent of European Foulbrood

Article Category: Review paper

Published Online: Dec 18, 2020

Page range: 173 - 188

Received: Jan 17, 2020

Accepted: Aug 27, 2020

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/jas-2020-0030

KeywordsEuropean foulbrood disease, pathogenesis, virulence

© 2020 Adrián Ponce de León-Door et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Keywords
European foulbrood disease, pathogenesis, virulence