Prévalence et répartition de la bactérie Paenibacillus larvae (Agent causal de la Loque américaine) au niveau de quelques ruchers de la région centre d'Algérie.

The honey bee constitutes an essential element of the environmental balance in the world as a pollinator of very many species. American foulbrood is a serious disease that threatens local bee colonies. It is considered to be the most harmful disease of the honey bee Apis mellifera. Spores represent the infectious stage. The pathology is caused by the bacterium P. larvae. The objective of this work is to study the prevalence of this pathology in some regions of central Algeria, using microbiological and molecular diagnostic methods. The research of a possible influence of this pathology on the hives mortalities is one of the sought objectives of this work. A sampling was carried out on 6 wilayas at the end of 2019, 100 samples were taken from all the regions studied, but the end of 2019 from 24 apiaries including 4 apiaries by region. A microbiological and a molecular diagnostic method by PCR were used to determine the contamination of bees by the bacterium. The analysis of the results obtained shows that the bacterium Paenibacillus larvae are present in the five areas studied. But bee populations are infested at various levels. Many factors favor the spread of the disease, such as poor beekeeping practices, the high density of honey bee colonies, the sale of swarms and transhumance. The highly pathogenic nature of this disease and the inability to detect it early are partly responsible for its wide spread. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]