Bacteriophage resistance evolution in a honey bee pathogen.

ABSTRACT: Honey bee (Apis mellifera) larvae are susceptible to the bacterial pathogen Paenibacillus larvae, which causes severe damage to bee colonies. Antibiotic treatment requires veterinary supervision in the United States, is not used in many parts of the world, perpetuates problems associated with antibiotic resistance, and can necessitate residual testing in bee products. There is interest in using bacteriophages to treat infected colonies (bacteriophage therapy) and several trials are promising. Nevertheless, the safety of using biological agents in the environment must be scrutinized. In this study we analyzed the ability of P. larvae to evolve resistance to several different bacteriophages. We found that bacteriophage resistance is rapidly developed in culture but often result

SUBMITTER: Spencer EK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11257554 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature