Searching the spores - Laboratory diagnostics of American Foulbrood

American foulbrood is caused by the spores of the bacterium Paenibacillus larvae and is classified as a notifiable disease of honey bees. The examination on the presence of spores within the honey of a broodcomb is an excellent method for the diagnosis and early detection of this disease. Prophylactic measures (shook swarm) may be recommended to prevent a clinical outbreak in cases of early detection. The following article explains the sampling and the various laboratory methods (microbiology, MALDI-TOF MS, PCR, rep-PCR). Advantages and limitations of laboratory diagnostic methods should be taken into consideration by interpreting the results.