Milestone Achievement: Dalan Animal Health's Honeybee Vaccine Granted Canadian Market Approval
Groundbreaking Solution to Protect Vital Pollinators
In a remarkable leap forward for animal health and environmental sustainability, Dalan Animal Health has received Canadian market authorization for the world's first-ever honeybee vaccine. This accomplishment comes on the heels of approval by the United States Department of Agriculture, Center for Veterinary Biologics (USDA-CVB), marking a pivotal moment in the company's mission to provide a transformative and sustainable solution for animal health.
The honeybee's role in our world cannot be overstated, with one-third of all crops dependent on pollination, making honeybees invaluable to our global food supply and ecosystem health. Dr. Annette Kleiser, co-founder and CEO of Dalan Animal Health, expressed the significance of this milestone, stating, "Our ability to offer the world's first honeybee vaccine to Canadian beekeepers is an exciting step in our plans to provide effective solutions to support this cornerstone species and its dedicated beekeepers."
In Canada, honeybee brood diseases, including the dreaded American Foulbrood (AFB), continue to pose significant threats. AFB outbreaks necessitate drastic measures, including burning infected hives, quarantine, or antibiotic treatments—costly and time-consuming remedies. Studies conducted in Canada and the U.S. have revealed the presence of Paenibacillus larvae (P. larvae), the culprit behind AFB, in as much as half of all hives in certain regions.
A 2020 study by the Government of Alberta's Agriculture and Forestry predicted that untreated AFB could lead to direct losses as high as $18.4 million across the industry. The highly contagious nature of AFB has posed an ongoing challenge to beekeepers in Canada and worldwide, with solutions limited to antibiotic use or complete hive elimination.
Dalan Animal Health's pioneering vaccine is engineered to offer proactive protection against AFB, preventing its occurrence without resorting to chemicals. This non-GMO vaccine is a boon for organic agriculture.
Canadian-born Carol Yelle-Harris, owner of Pope Canyon Queens in Vacaville, California, shared her perspective, "Having worked closely with Canadian beekeepers, I can affirm that disease management is a significant concern for them. While this vaccine may not solve all the challenges faced by our industry, it marks a substantial step in the right direction, redefining how we approach disease prevention and management."
Manufactured by Diamond Animal Health, the vaccine will be made available to commercial beekeepers in Canada through the distribution partnership with ASEA Animal Health, Inc., commencing in Spring 2024. Beekeepers keen on safeguarding their colonies with Dalan's vaccine must do so under veterinarian supervision.
The vaccine utilizes killed whole-cell Paenibacillus larvae bacteria, which is introduced into the queen feed, consumed by worker bees. The vaccine integrates into the royal jelly, which worker bees subsequently feed to the queen. This process deposits vaccine fragments in her ovaries, granting immunity to developing larvae. The non-GMO nature of the vaccine makes it compatible with organic agriculture. Crucial efficacy studies have demonstrated its potential to reduce larval mortality linked to American Foulbrood infections caused by P. larvae.
Dalan Animal Health, Inc. (www.dalan.com) is dedicated to pioneering transformative animal health solutions, designed to foster a more sustainable future. Their platform vaccine technology employs transgenerational immune priming, enabling maternal animals to pass immune modulators to the next generation larvae before hatching. In addition to honeybee vaccines, Dalan is poised to develop vaccines for other honeybee diseases and underserved industries, such as shrimp, mealworms, and insects used in agriculture. The company's headquarters are located in Athens, Georgia, at the University of Georgia's Innovation Hub.
This groundbreaking honeybee vaccine marks a significant stride toward safeguarding the health of these vital pollinators and supporting the long-term sustainability of our ecosystems.
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