AFB Gloucestershire

[CleverBee]

What i am saying is tha AFB was not confirmed on LFD on Saturday. I am also saying that if there was AFB subsequently confirmed, it will be published on BeeBase. I have also said that this has been nothing else but speculation and pointless ramble and a bright example of how notifiable disease can not be managed on forums like this

 

[bontbee]

Strangely, BeeBase show an AFB case confirmed in April...

Am I looking at the wrong map? Can't see any red squares for gloucs

 

[bontbee]

Strangely, BeeBase show an AFB case confirmed in April...

Am I looking at the wrong map? Can't see any red squares for gloucs, but I don't entirely trust my IT ability...is what I meant to say. See what I mean???

 

[CleverBee]

Bontbee, you are correct. There is no AFB reported in Gloucestershire for April or May when the auction was. Madasafish is the one who needs to have a second look

 

[alanf]

Am I looking at the wrong map? Can't see any red squares for gloucs, but I don't entirely trust my IT ability...is what I meant to say. See what I mean???

I have no idea what the lag is before reports appear and the map doesn't have the most intuitive interface. Possibly easier to check the "live" report table for 2014
https://secure.fera.defra.gov.uk/beebase/public/BeeDiseases/afbReport.cfm

Not so easy to reproduce a table here but the basic data shows a May report of AFB in the Cheltenham area:

County 	10 km Squares where AFB Found 	Area Name 	Number of Colonies Infected 	Month AFB Found
Cheshire 	SJ87 	ALDERLEY EDGE 	1 	April
Cornwall 	SW63 	CAMBOURNE SOUTH 	2 	May
Essex 	   TL61 	PLESHEY 	2 	April
Gloucestershire 	SO92 	CHELTENHAM 	1 	May
Northamptonshire 	SP76 	NORTHAMPTON 	2 	April
Staffordshire 	SJ95 	LEEK 	1 	April

 

[madasafish]

Bontbee, you are correct. There is no AFB reported in Gloucestershire for April or May when the auction was. Madasafish is the one who needs to have a second look

Thank you. I read the table which is reproduced above...and I must have transposed the April below .. strange: I could have sworn I saw two Aprils.. I must be growing (more) geriatric
Bee Base maps are not reliable I have found...

 

[Worldsend]

Last year this forum gave me info that EFB in my area a week before I got an e mail from FERA

 

[BeeJayBee]

Last year this forum gave me info that EFB in my area a week before I got an e mail from FERA

Sometimes technology is slow to get going, but it's now confirmed on Beebase that AFB was found in Cheltenham in May 2014 https://secure.fera.defra.gov.uk/beebase/public/BeeDiseases/afbReport.cfm

Gloucestershire SO92 CHELTENHAM 1 May

Also - one EFB in Cheltenham in May 2014, at 10km grid reference SO92 https://secure.fera.defra.gov.uk/beebase/public/BeeDiseases/efbReport.cfm

 

[Somerford]

What i am saying is tha AFB was not confirmed on LFD on Saturday. I am also saying that if there was AFB subsequently confirmed, it will be published on BeeBase. I have also said that this has been nothing else but speculation and pointless ramble and a bright example of how notifiable disease can not be managed on forums like this

Thank you to Madasafish who kindly notified me this thread was running away with itself. I would like to point out to certain individuals I am not a liar, and I started this thread as I think a duty of care should exist between beekeepers if incidents like the one on Saturday occur.

I was aware of the 'suspected' status as the auction started, we were notified of the standstill mid way through, and after the auction ended I had a quiet word with one of the members of the GBKA organisers and he confirmed to me a field test had confirmed the presence of AFB in a colony that had originated from the locality.

While I don't know the statistical likelihood that a field test can be wrong or right, it's positive nature halted the live bee auction proceedings that day, and as others have recently posted here, a new AFB location has been confirmed for Cheltenham in May according to the BeeBase records.

I stand by my original actions, but if the moderators feel I have done something that was incorrect, I am sure I'll be contacted.

I've never seen a case of either foulbrood in 25 years of keeping bees. However, I will say I am reviewing my knowledge of the symptoms and will be keeping a more careful watch out in my own colonies.

Regards

S

 

[madasafish]

I've never seen a case of either foulbrood in 25 years of keeping bees. However, I will say I am reviewing my knowledge of the symptoms and will be keeping a more careful watch out in my own colonies.

Regards

S

Having seen several cases in the same apiary - and repeated cases despite the best efforts of all to prevent it - I would rather take precautions just in case.

It's contagious and easily spread through infected bees or honey- and the sight of several dead hives after petrol treatment and setting fire to the remains will remain with me as an awful warning .

 

[roche]

Well done Somerford - You checked the facts on the spot, and made people aware by starting this thread. Hopefully something even more productive will come out of it, in the way that auctions are organised and the attitudes of people towards reporting and understanding brood diseases.

 

[ROACHMAN]

Well done Somerford - You checked the facts on the spot, and made people aware by starting this thread. Hopefully something even more productive will come out of it, in the way that auctions are organised and the attitudes of people towards reporting and understanding brood diseases.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

 

[BeeJayBee]

I started this thread as I think a duty of care should exist between beekeepers if incidents like the one on Saturday occur.

Yes, thankyou for the warning. Here's hoping others will do the same if they learn of other outbreaks of serious brood disease.

Apologies from me to AlanF - I duplicated the stuff from Beebase because I hadn't read your post properly.

 

[alanf]

Well done Somerford - You checked the facts on the spot, and made people aware by starting this thread. Hopefully something even more productive will come out of it, in the way that auctions are organised and the attitudes of people towards reporting and understanding brood diseases.

Disease exists, a bit glib to describe incidents as "learning experiences" but it's well established that we learn more from our mistakes than we do from always getting it right. There's a balance between the right of neighbours to know it's around and broadcasting names which is more likely to put beekeepers off reporting suspicions. The NBU system seems a reasonable compromise that more or less works for static apiaries. Auctions are different, if problems arise they need to be openly discussed. Organisers should be aware of how they happen and what can be done to prevent them; buyers and sellers should be aware of what precautions to expect.

@beejoyful, not a problem with references or quotes. The more the better.

 

[pargyle]

I did the bee disease and hygiene course - full day last year - with the RBI and SBI's. very informative and we were allowed to see live EFB and AFB cells under very strictly controlled conditions of course ... And do the field test. I feel I could now recognise most brood disease symptoms ... Or at least know when to get an opinion - course was organised through the association and running again this year, whilst not totally on topic I would recommend anyone who gets the opportunity to do the course. Feel sure there will be courses run elsewhere of a similar nature.

 

[DanBee]

Well done Somerford - You checked the facts on the spot, and made people aware by starting this thread. Hopefully something even more productive will come out of it, in the way that auctions are organised and the attitudes of people towards reporting and understanding brood diseases.

+1

The question has been asked about the reliability of the test kits. I have regular opportunities to use both the LFD kits and microscope confirmation with diseased combs: the AFB test kit is reliable, but the EFB kit is dependent upon choice and amount of material tested.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Spoke to an SBI today - the thing that horrified him the most was that as soon as diagnosis was confirmed, they shut up the bees and moved them all off site IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY!! so what's going to happen to all the stragglers? some that may be carrying AFB spores? unless the doomed hive is less than three miles away they're going to beg their way into other hives and then................

 

[Itchy]

I can't believe there is a not a code of practice for this kind of incident

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I can't believe there is a not a code of practice for this kind of incident

SBI agreed too that guidelines need to be put into place but typical government practice really - you formulate a contingency plan after the problem arrives not before