EPILOBEE The EU surveillance study in Hungary

Transcription

1 EPILOBEE The EU surveillance study in Hungary Petra Paulus dr. (National Food Chain Safety Office Veterinary Diagnostic Directorate Laboratory of Parasitology, Fish and Bee Diseases) Paris, 9th December 2014

2 Hungary In the heart of Europe Approximately km 2 19 counties (administrative units) Good agricultural condition (4.4 mill acres cultivated land; 2.0 mill acres forest (which includes acres acacia forest too).

3 Beekeeping in Hungary National database about beekeepers (in Hungary it is obligatory to notify the veterinary authority and also the municipality about beekeeping) Number of beekeepers: Number of colonies: more than 1 million Very high population density: colonies/km 2 Photo: Tóth Péter

4 Honey production: Honey production tons/year Most of it exported, mainly to the EU The most important is acacia honey

5 Special role in Hungary Bee health inspectors (to check all of the colonies looking for symptoms of AFB and any other diseases before migration; taking samples in case of bee poisoning; making advice ) Their tasks (to help the work of the official veterinarian) are regulated in the national decree on bee health Well-organized system since 1950 s Usually experienced beekeepers with proven knowledge Contracted with the regional veterinary authorities (around 1000 inspectors countrywide)

6 The beginning EPILOBEE 2012/ COM letter voluntary participation in a unique, bee health surveillance pilot Limited time (until 30th September) for assessing financial & human resources and preparing the application (based on the EURL guideline) Get the approval of our CVO

7 The beginning Final approval and amount of financial contribution: COM decision of 4 July 2012 Very quick organization was needed to implement visits before wintering (in Hungary by the the end of September the latest, due to weather conditions) Short time to find the required number of bee health inspectors and beekeepers who were willing to participate in the project

8 The implementation The programme covers the whole country (all of 19 counties) Coordination by 3 person in each of the central competent authorities: Ministry of Agriculture National Food Chain Safety Office Animal Health and Animal Welfare Directorate National Food Chain Safety Office Veterinary Diagnostic Directorate (NRL) Visits (health check and sampling): carried out by contracted bee health inspectors (approx. 30) Diagnostics: NRL Data upload: centrally (by the coordinators)

9 Surveillance strategy Randomly selected apiaries: Established 3 categories by the size: Small size (S) with less than 50 colonies Medium size (M) between 50 and 150 colonies Large size (L) with more than 150 colonies The selected number of apiaries by counties has taken into account to the total number per county (but selected at least one L size apiary in each county) Central list of apiaries to visit (random selection), but could be modified if the beekeeper refused the participation

10 196 apiaries Surveillance strategy 3934 randomly selected colonies in September 2012 (the most colonies among the 17 participant Member States) Total number of colonies within the selected apiary up to To be inspected all

11 To beekeepers: Communication, trainings Good relationship with the Hungarian Beekeepers Association (OMME) helped to disseminate information and convince beekeepers to participate in the project Article about the program in the journal for beekeepers OMME also propagated it during their meetings and conferences

12 Communications, trainings To bee health inspectors: Letter containing all relevant information Training before the start how to carry out the visits, sampling and filling the visit forms signing the contracts distributing the visit forms and sampling equipments Reminder before each visit Continuous support and discussion via phone if needed

13 Visits 3 times: Before wintering (September) After wintering (May) During the season (July) Bee health inspectors visited all of selected apiaries: Checked the whole apiary Selected randomly the colonies (on first visit) Marked the beehives (on first visit) Checked randomly selected colonies Took samples and sent in the NRL Filled in the visit forms

14 Laboratory diagnostics (NRL) All samples were identified and stored in fridge until processing Varroa counting: performed on EVERY systematic + symptomatic sample (autumn, spring, summer) Washing method Photo: Somogyi Nóra

15 Laboratory diagnostics (NRL) Small hive beetle and Tropilaelaps spp.: in parallel with Varroa

16 Laboratory diagnostics (NRL) Nosema spore counting: only on colonies showing symptoms (weakness, depopulation, etc.) OIE method Optical microscopy, Bürker-chamber (nr. of spores* 10 5 /bee)

17 Laboratory diagnostics (NRL) Viruses (DWV, ABPV): only on symptomatic bee samples o PCR

18 Laboratory diagnostics (NRL) Varroosis analysis: on symptomatic brood samples AFB, EFB: on symptomatic brood samples o clinical signs, optical microscopy (cultivation)

19 Laboratory diagnostics (NRL) Results were sent to the beekeepers If a disease was diagnosed, treatment recommendations were also included Registration in the NRL database Gradually uploaded to the EURL database Suspicious of notifiable disease (AFB) report to the local competent authority to eradicate it

20 In total 553 visits Results (Autumn: Spring:181 - Summer: 175) Number of the inspected colonies in total (Autumn: Spring: Summer: 3075) Number of bee-samples sent to the NRL: in total 4028 (Autumn: Spring: 84 - Summer: 10)

21 Results - mortality rates Overwintering mortality rate: 7,84%, Seasonal mortality rate: 1,94% Source: EURL Source: EURL

22 Results - Varroa counting 100 % of the samples Autumn, Autumn: 58% of the samples were positive Heavily infected 30.3 % of all samples means 52.2% of the positive colonies Spring: 21.4 % of the samples were positive Summer: no positive samples(low number of samples were sent to the laboratory) Spring, 2013.

23 Results - nosemosis Only the symptomatic colonies were involved in total 476 colonies: Autumn: 382 Spring: 84 Summer: 10 Number of positive results Autumn: 33.5 % (128) Spring: 78.6% (66) Summer: 40% (4)

24 Results - Honeybee viruses (ABPV, DWV) Only the symptomatic colonies were involved Autumn: 140 samples DWV+: 67 % (94) ABPV+: 16 % (23 ) Mixed infection: 14 % (19 ) Spring and Summer : 102 samples DWV+: 51 % (52) ABPV+: 37 % (38 ) Mixed infection: 20 % (20)

25 In total 21 samples of honeycomb Autumn: 13 Spring: 6 Summer: 2 Results: Results American foulbrood, European foulbrood Autumn 8 AFB+ (4 apiaries) Spring, summer: - EFB: -

26 Not found: Tropilaelaps sp. Aethina tumida

27 Difficulties during the program On the central level: Short time for the preparations before the project started After application the financial conditions have changed difficulties (no EU contribution for coordination, meetings, data processing, etc.) Difficult to cope with the database Governmental Decree (2012. December ): no contracts with pensioners 8 inspector had to changed during the programme

28 Difficulties during the program For the bee health inspectors Lots of questions in the questionnaire- long time to fill the form Beekeepers were mistrustful, many of them refused the sampling Bee health inspectors didn t get feedback about the results On the season it was difficult to reach the selected colonies because of migration

29 Difficulties during the program For the beekeepers: Too many bees (300) required in a sample some of them refused the sampling To sort and examine the samples took a long time (NRL) beekeepers got the results about their apiaries months later

30 Difficulties during the programme In the NRL: Extra workload Sample storage Living honeybees escaped, flew around in the lab challenging to collect them (now samples are sent only after freezing)

31 Conclusions The questionnaire covered a wide range of information, very useful data to combine with the lab-results Despite of the difficulties, beekeepers found useful to receive the results (for free) about their colonies Beekeepers got a comprehensive picture of their colonies Varroa-, Nosema- and virus-infection Treatments against infections can be planned more effectively The communication and cooperation between bee health inspectors, beekeepers and NRL has improved

32 2013/2014 New program, new analyses (CBPV, Nosema - typing) Beekeepers are more permissive lots of them voluntarily applied to participate in the project (although, in one county the beekeepers generally refused the participation) Easier to organize 185* participant apiaries 3810 randomly selected colonies Overwintering mortality rate: 4.80% (much lower, than 2012/2013) Seasonal mortality rate: 1.37% (lower, than 2012/2013) Data processing is still in progress

33 Thank you for your attention!