Preliminary investigations into possible resistance to oxytetracycline in Melissococcus plutonius, a pathogen of honeybee larvae.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the occurrence of oxytetracycline (OTC) resistance in Melissococcus plutonius, which causes European foulbrood in honeybee colonies.


RESULTS
Strains of M. plutonius were isolated from diseased colonies in England and Wales and tested for resistance to OTC. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of OTC was also determined for selected isolates. No resistance to the antibiotic was found in any isolate and the average MIC was found to be 3.9 microg ml-1. Melissococcus plutonius was found to be susceptible to both chlortetracycline and tetracycline.


CONCLUSIONS
No resistance to OTC was found in M. plutonius.


CONCLUSIONS
This study demonstrated that OTC can continue to be used to treat European foulbrood and that resistance may not explain why some treatments fail.
Waite
R
R
National Bee Unit, Central Science Laboratory, Sand Hutton, York, UK.
Jackson
S
S
Thompson
H
H
D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001516:Bees / Q000254:growth & development / Q000382:microbiology*; D002751:Chlortetracycline / Q000378:metabolism; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial; D006094:Gram-Positive Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity; D007814:Larva / Q000382:microbiology; D008018:Life Cycle Stages; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D010118:Oxytetracycline / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013753:Tetracycline Resistance
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D002751:Chlortetracycline; D010118:Oxytetracycline