title: Negative correlation between individual-insect-level virulence and colony-level virulence of Paenibacillus larvae, the etiological agent of American foulbrood of honeybees.
abstract: Paenibacillus larvae is the etiological agent of American foulbrood (AFB) in honeybees. Recently, different genotypes of P. larvae (ERIC I to ERIC IV) were defined, and it was shown that these genotypes differ inter alia in their virulence on the larval level. On the colony level, bees mitigate AFB through the hygienic behavior of nurse bees. Therefore, we investigated how the hygienic behavior shapes P. larvae virulence on the colony level. Our results indicate that P. larvae virulence on the larval level and that on the colony level are negatively correlated.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Bee Research, Friedrich-Engels-Strasse 32, 16540 Hohen Neuendorf, Germany.
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rauch
authors.forename: Ainura
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ashiralieva
authors.forename: Kati
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hedtke
authors.forename: Elke
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Genersch
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001516:Bees / Q000382:microbiology*; D006094:Gram-Positive Bacteria / Q000254:growth & development / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D016908:Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D007814:Larva / Q000382:microbiology; D014774:Virulence