Presentation done during the EMEA workshop the december 14, 2009, in London: "Medicines for Bees - What the Agency can do to increase availability".
" Good
afternoon, and thank you to welcome us to participate at this workshop about
VMPs and honey bees.
First
of all, I’d like to thank Mrs Koudouna to suggest me and give me the
opportunity to speak about the veterinarian’s bee health involvement in France.
I
am Nicolas Vidal-Naquet, I am a vet graduated in honey bee pathology. I belong
to the beekeeping commission of the GTV (veterinary technical group). Today, I
represent the Federation of the Veterinarians of Europe.
The
place of vets in the bee health organization in Europe and in the world is
quite weak but begin to increase, as we saw it in the Apimondia congress in
Montpellier last september.
In
France, the sanitary crisis of the beekeeping chain has developed awareness of
some vets and their implication.
SUMMARY
First, we’ll see the history of the vet involvement.
Then,
we’ll speak about the vet honey bee pathology education and training in France.
Thirdly,
the beekeeping health organization and the place of vets.
And
we’ll end by the theme of this meeting considering
VMPs and honey bees.
We
must not forget that vets are in charge of the prescription of VMPs.
History
The
history of the relationship between vets and beekeeping is caracterized by a
long period of indifference.
-At the beginning of the
XXth century, practitioners were concerned by honey bee health,
-After world war two, vets
were involved in herd breeding and health management,
-In the fifties: vets
developed sports (horses) and leisure (pets) medecine and surgery while urban life was increasing,
-And they
didn’t take (or very rarely) into account honey bee health as a part of their
practice perhaps because it is a minor species, and is not an important economic « market ».
For the past 5 or 6 years
with the sanitary crisis of the beekeeping chain and the increasing losses of
colonies, some vets have decided to be active and try to be efficient in this
animal production. As everybody, they became aware
of the environmental disorders among which
honey bee is a symbol as a sentinel.
One of the pioneer is Pr.
Monique L’Hostis , associated with Jean-Marie Barbançon, DVM and Beekeeper, and
Marc Edouard Colin, DVM and searcher
Why vets in bee heath? Vet training
First, vets are domestic
animals’ pathologists :
-and honey bees are
domestic animals,
-face to the colony
disorders, beekeeping lacks pathologists,
- Health disorders require:
-
Diagnostical approach following
- Clinical
evaluation,
- VMPs
prescription when necessary.
- and Advices
in prophylaxis programs
The triptic,
prescription following examination and diagnosis, is the definition of the
veterinary act. The FVE position adopted officialy this definition in Vienna
two years ago. Examination, Diagnosis and prescription cannot be dissociated in
veterinary practice, even in honey bee pathology.
Secondly, vets are in
charge of the veterinarian public Heath.
Honey bee pathology is a
full part of the vet job, even if vets forgot it and beekeeping chain had to
manage on its own before.
In France
training of honey bee pathology exist for vets.
- Before 2000:
A few hours in the academic degree course were dispended to
students. Now beekeeping pathology is unfortunately not taught any more in the
veterinary cursus. The reason is probably its low impact on the veterinary
economy.
-
Hopefully, in 2005 Pr Monique L’Hostis and Pr René Chermette created for vets a
Diploma called « Beekeeping, honey bee pathology ».
-
And next year, in 2010: the GTV is about to begin training for practitioners.
The
Diploma « Beekeeping, honey bee pathology » has been created with the support of beekeeping chain and unions and the financial
support of Agricultural European Funds (FEAGA).
–A lot of beekeeping specialists and members of the beekeeping chain are
in charge of the courses. (Theorical courses : 120 hours (3 weeks) and
Practical courses : one week (40 h))
What are the aims
of this diploma ?
For Practionners, we can
mention
–Management of regulated diseases
–Management of other diseases
–Assessment, on the field, Therapeutics trials…
For vets working in the
administration
–Management of regulated diseases…
For vets working in Research
and diagnosis Laboratory…
–Set up: diagnosis tools, validation, realisation
–Assessment, therapeutics trials, scientific studies..
Organization of
the diploma
The
training « beekeeping, bee pathology » is divided as we can see in 4
modules, and an important part is the audit of animal husbandry. This the basis
of health management.
Module
I, one week: honeybee, colony, management of apiary
Module
II, one week: beekeeping pathology
Module
III, one week: Practical course with a professional beekeeper: audit of animal
husbandry
Module
IV, one week : Regulation, health management
•Writing
of the audit report
•Presentation
of the report, individual and group reports SYNTHETHIS OF THE COURSE
So this diploma
allows vets to :
-Acquire theorical bases and
practice on honey bee: morphology, biology, live of
the colony…,
-Acquire practical bases to
manipulate colonies of honey bee for aims of diagnosis, samples and
experimentations,
-Acquire knowledge in beekeeping, in
beekeeping pathology and management of various affections
This
is a high standard diploma and there is a wish, which is presently a wish and
not a project, to develop it at the european level.
What can we say
about the vets graduated or involved?
First
of all, they are passionnate and aware that beekeeping pathology cannot be a
full time or profitable job, and want to help beekeepers in this crisis time.
37
vets are graduated in beekeeping pathology or on the way to be… and 32 are
pre-registered for the next session.
As
we can see, those vets are spread over the territory (there is a shortage in
the east and south west) and involved in the different fields where
veterinarians are usually involved (practitionners, administration, research…).
All
the vets involved in bee heath didn’t follow this training, a lot of are
self-taught persons.
What is the
present place of practioners, as pathologists, in the bee heath organization?
At
the top, there is the ministry of agriculture, and
two directions.
-DGAL (direction
générale de l’alimentation) food general direction
-DGPV (direction
générale de protection des végétaux) plants’ protection general direction
Are
also involved Agency and laboratories : I will essentially mention the
AFSSA, which is the powerfull benchmark laboratory in bee health in France: its
fields of work are analysis laboratory, research on pathogen, viral diseases,
pest, chemicals…, assessment, diagnosis….
Private
and public laboratories
…
And the OIE
Then,
under the ministry of Agriculture, there are Regional and
« departemental » sections, with the veterinary section: (DRSV, DDSV)
and the Regional section of plant’s protection.
The
Veterinary section appoints the ASA (beekeeping sanitary assistant). They are
officialy in charge of the sanitary policy of honey bee health: they are often
beekeepers. They can do diagnosis but are not allowed to precribe VMPs.
The
ASA guild have be created by the administration to fill the lack of vets
capable or specialized in bee health.
Are
also involved, Sanitary organizations like the FNOSAD.
Last
and not least, because this is the honey bee and
beekeepers level, the Beekeeping Sanitary Protection Group, GDSA, where vets
operate.
-
The GDSA are in charge of beekeeping sanitary management and of VMPs delivery
within the framework of a Breeding Sanitary Program, PSE.
-
As vet advice of the GDSA, practioners are responsible for the prescription
of the VMPs of the PSE. These vets
participate more and more to the definition and implementation of the sanitary
policy of the Group.
So, the question
is and remains : the vets, just to write prescriptions, or can they be
helpfull in this sanitary crisis ?
The
Honey bee pathology becomes a « specialist affair » with complicated
beekeeping sanitary problems. (The ASA guild shows now its limits)
In
this animal production chain, there is a lack that doesn’t exist in the other
animals productions health organizations: veterinarians with sanitary
mandate.
These
sanitary vets will represent the link between administration, scientific data
and field assessments.
The
administration is on the way to create soon a bee health specialized sanitary
mandate for vets. This will allow to have a repartition on the whole territory
of such sanitary specialists.
Practioners,
as pathologists will have:
- a place in the beekeeping health
organisation,
- a part in clinical (certified) report and
official valuations,
-
a contribution to an expected organized epidemical monitoring network. On this subject, a veterinary squad has been created
with a vet in charge of colony collapses and can go on the field quickly if
necessary.
- a major part in VMPs prescription.
I just want to remind that veterinarians are in charge of VMPs
prescription in France and in Europe. This is their duty and there
responsability.
This lead me to
speak about honey bee and VMPs
Beyond colony disorders due to chemical and viral agents where VMPs are
not usefull, the availability of VMPs is considered to be a real problem in the
fight against Varroa destructor as well as in diseases due to pathogen
organisms (Nosema sp. and bacterial diseases)
Let us consider
first the fight against Varroa,
-We all know that honey bee
have to live with Varroa destructor. The aim of this fight is to obtain a balance
into the hive allowing the life of the colony and the production of the hive
with the greatest possible percentage of mite reduction (in order to have a
colony as healthy and strong as possible)
-Some
studies in particular in France have shown sometimes a lower percentage mite
reduction than expected. (Works of Faucon, Martin or more recently Vallon).
-The
consequences are considered as :
first
a lack of efficiency of VMPs,
Secondly, appearence of Varroa resistance
against VMps
And thirdly as a lack of VMPs against
Varroa destructor.
In
France, miticides available are
- Apivar: Amitraze
(a prescription is to be delivered)
- Apistan: Tau-fluvalinate
- Thymovar, apiguard: Thymol
- Api Life Var: thymol, eucalyptol, camphre, menthol, on the way to obtain a marketing authorization.
To understand the lacks observed, we have first to define what happens
Beekeepers
observe each year some of their hives with a lot of residual Varroa, despite the application of a
treatment, whatever it is.
These
are not always the same beekeepers, the same places, and the same weather
conditions.
The
consequences can be weak colonies, opportunist diseases, viral diseases and
troubles for pollination and honey production.
These facts lead
to formulate some points and questions :
- At the level of
the beekeeper
What is the beekeeper practices and does he
follow good rules?.
Does he
follow the prescription and the way of use of VMPs?
When does he starts
the treatment?
Does he adapt the treatment to
local conditions and to hives production ?
At this subject, the GTV commission is on the way to edit a « good
practice rules for an optimal treatment against Varroa » for prescribers.
-At the level of the VMPs, the national agencies and industry
Is there a real lack of efficiency of VMPs?
Does Varroa develop resistance
against these treatments?
Are the essential substances of the VMPs well distributed in the hive
with sufficient concentration? Is the pharmaceutical form proposed the optimal one?
-At the level of the VMPs availability
-In Europe, each country have his own VMPs, for exemple Apivar is allowed
in France, Spain and Italy but not in other european countries…
-The availibility of some VMPs is a difficulty
for beekeepers,
-So there is a tentation for beekeepers to use:
-VMPs without Marketing
Authorization for Honey Bee Use as miticide (Amitraze in Taktik, Coumaphos…)
-Just a word about Oxalic acid and Formic acid. These substances can be
used as miticide, if bought as essential substances (pharmacy, vet). Sometimes,
Oxalic acid and Formic acid bought as cleaning products in DIY shops are used.
This can be a sanitary problem for the consumers of the products of the hive.
The
access to VMPs with Marketing Authorization and miticide indication for Honey
bee in one country should be facilitated in the other european countries and
the sanitary training for beekeepers always reminded to allow optimal treatment
management..
Let us now speak about the other diseases which could have an access to
treatment.
This concerns diseases due to pathogen organisms sensitive to differents
essential substances: bacteria, microsporidia
Considering diseases, there are
a number of questions and points to answer:
- We have to define diseases which can need VMPs (it is essentially American Foulbrood, European
Foulbrood, Disorders due to Nosema sp. )
This definition done, the questions remain :
- do these diseases really need VMPs?
- We have to define the stage “disease” when treatment should be
prescribed.
- We have to define if the treatment is scientifically necessary,
considering the fact that some of these germs (Paenibacillus larvae larvae and Nosema sp. for exemple) can survive as
spores, on which medicines are not active. (Melissococcus pluton don’t survive as spore)
These questions imply the necessity for labs to
develop reliable, sensitive and specific diagnostic methods. For exemple :
Nosema, how can we define the stage
disease ? For some searchers the presence of spores means disease, for
others the number of spores is important.
The wish is that interpretation of results become as
clear and consensual as possible, to help vets to prescribe VMPs only when it
is necessary, as in the other species.
There is a real lack in the analysis field today to
help pathologist.
There is an other wish: the development of
scientific publications in vet magazines or congress. The creation of the JSA
(Beekeeping scientific day) by the Vet School of Nantes and the FNOSAD
contribute to inform vets, and help them in their honey bee Heath activity.
Considering the VMPs, some points and questions are important to evaluate
before precription and use:
-We have to define the essential substances usable:
-Antibiotics :tetracyclines,
oxytetracyclines… are potentially active against EFBD and AFBD
-Anticoccidians
: fumagiline, toltrazuril are potentialy active against Nosema
- This must lead labs and industry to define the MRL
of the essential substances vets would be interested to prescribe if necessary.
-We also have to define the way of using the
treatments and the conditions of use of VMPs, of course in association of
beekeeping techniques.
There is a necessity to allow the prescription of VMPs, in the framework of MUMS
regulation, and allow accessibility to the prescription of authorized VMPs
everywhere in EU.
The marketing authorization must strictly
regulate the conditions of prescription, distribution and use of
antibiotics and anticoccidians VMPs in honey bee health in order to limit
antibioresistance and protect consumers... The use of VMPs must be reasoned.
In the United States, the EFB and AFB agents are
often resistant to a lot of antibiotics because of a massive use.
So, if nothing is done, there can be an anarchic use of VMPs and other
essential substances which will lead to the consequences as mentionned before.
So for sanitary and biologic reasons, the consequence is that the use of
antibiotics and anticoccidians is not the rule but must remain the exception.
And
here, I want to remind what I said before : Examination, Diagnosis and prescription
cannot be dissociated even in honey bee pathology. And this is the veretinary
practice.
In France a National Veterinary Commitee for a
Reasoned Antibiotics Use has just been created, as the human one which has
succeeded in reducing the use of antibiotics
To conclude,
Veterinarians are today more involved in honey bee health, even if honey
bee is a « minor species », both as a practitioner and as a gearwheel
of the veterinarian public health.
As prescribers, vets have the responsability to define the need and the
necessity of use of VMPs in Honey bee diseases.
Thank you for your
attention"
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