Infestation of honey bees  with Tropilaelaps spp.

Article 9.5.1.

General provisions

For the purposes of the Terrestrial Code, Tropilaelaps infestation of honey bees (species of the genus Apis) is caused by different species of Tropilaelaps mites (including the mites Tropilaelaps clareae, T.koenigerum, T. thaii and T. mercedesae). The mite is an ectoparasite of brood of honey bees, and cannot survive for periods of more than 21 days away from bee brood.

Early signs of infestation normally go unnoticed, but the growth in the mite population is rapid leading to high hive mortality. The infestation spreads by direct contact from adult honey bee to adult honey bee, and by the movement of infested honey bees and bee brood. The mite can also act as a vector for viruses of the honey bee.

When authorising import or transit of the commodities covered in the chapter, with the exception of those listed in Article 9.5.2., Veterinary Authorities should require the conditions prescribed in this chapter relevant to the Tropilaelaps spp. status of the honey bee population of the exporting country or zone.

Standards for diagnostic tests are described in the Terrestrial Manual.

Article 9.5.2.

Safe commodities

When authorising import or transit of the following commodities, Veterinary Authorities should not require any Tropilaelaps spp.-related conditions, regardless of the Tropilaelaps spp. status of the exporting country or zone:

1. honey bee semen;

2. honey bee venom;

3. honey bee eggs;

4. royal jelly.

Article 9.5.3.

Determination of the Tropilaelaps spp. status of a country or zone

The Tropilaelaps spp. status of a country or zone can only be determined after considering the following criteria:

1. a risk assessment has been conducted, identifying all potential factors for Tropilaelaps spp. occurrence and their historic perspective;

2. the presence of Tropilaelaps spp. is notifiable in the whole country or zone, and all clinical signs suggestive of Tropilaelaps spp. infestation are subjected to field and laboratory investigations;

3. an ongoing awareness programme is in place to encourage reporting of all cases suggestive of Tropilaelaps spp. infestation;

4. the Veterinary Authority or other Competent Authority with responsibility for reporting and control of diseases of honey bees has current knowledge of, and authority over, all domesticated apiaries in the country.

Article 9.5.4.

Country or zone free from Tropilaelaps spp.

1. Historically free status

   A country or zone may be considered free from Tropilaelaps spp. after conducting a risk assessment as referred to in Article 9.5.3. but without formally applying a specific surveillance programme if the country or zone complies with Chapter 1.4.

2. Free status as a result of an eradication programme

   A country or zone which does not meet the conditions of point 1) above may be considered free from Tropilaelaps spp. after conducting a risk assessment as referred to in Article 9.5.3. and when:

   1. the Veterinary Authority or other Competent Authority with responsibility for reporting and control of diseases of honey bees has current knowledge of, and authority over, all domesticated apiaries existing in the country or zone;

   2. the presence of Tropilaelaps spp. is notifiable in the whole country or zone, and any clinical cases suggestive of Tropilaelaps spp. infestation are subjected to field and laboratory investigations;

   3. for the three years following the last report of the presence of Tropilaelaps spp., an annual survey supervised by the Veterinary Authority or other Competent Authority, with no positive results, have been carried out on a representative sample of apiaries in the country or zone to provide a confidence level of at least 95% of detecting Tropilaelaps spp. if at least 1% of the apiaries were infested at a within-apiary prevalence rate of at least 5% of the hives; such surveys may be targeted towards areas with a higher likelihood of infestation;

   4. to maintain free status, an annual survey supervised by the Veterinary Authority or other Competent Authority, with no positive results, is carried out on a representative sample of apiaries in the country or zone to indicate that there has been no new cases; such surveys may be targeted towards areas with a higher likelihood of infestation;

   5. either there is no wild or self-sustaining feral population of species of the genus Apis in the country or zone, or there is an ongoing surveillance programme of the wild or self-sustaining feral population of species of the genus Apis which demonstrates no evidence of the presence of the mite in the country or zone;

   6. the importation of the commodities listed in this chapter into the country or zone is carried out in accordance with the recommendations of this chapter.

Article 9.5.5.

Recommendations for the importation of live queen honey bees, worker honey bees, drone honey bees, larvae of honey bees, pupae of honey bees, and brood combs

Veterinary Authorities of importing countries should require the presentation of an international veterinary certificate attesting that:

1. the commodities come from apiaries situated in a country or zone free from Tropilaelaps spp.;

OR

2. the shipment comprises only queen honey bees with attendant worker honey bees without associated brood combs and the honey bees:

   1. come from an artificial broodless swarm with the caged queen;
      

   2. caged queen and swarm have been treated with an effective veterinary medicinal product and kept isolated for 21 days from brood prior to the shipment;
      

3. the honey bee queens were inspected by a representative of the Veterinary Services prior to the shipment and showed no evidence of the presence of the mites.

Article 9.5.6.

Recommendations for the importation of used apicultural equipment

Veterinary Authorities of importing countries should require the presentation of an international veterinary certificate attesting that the equipment:

1. comes from apiaries situated in a country or zone free from Tropilaelaps spp.; or

2. contains no live honey bees or bee brood and has been held in a bee-proof environment for at least 21 days prior to shipment; or

3. has been treated to ensure the destruction of Tropilaelaps spp. in accordance with one of the following procedures:

   1. heating to 50°C core temperature and holding at that temperature for 20 minutes; or

   2. freezing at core temperature of minus 12°C or less for at least 24 hours; or

   3. fumigation with methyl bromide at a rate of 48 g per cubic metre at atmospheric pressure and at a temperature of 10-15°C for a period of 2 hours; or

   4. irradiation with 350 Gray; or

   5. by any procedure of equivalent efficacy recognised by the Veterinary Authorities of the importing and exporting countries.

Article 9.5.7.

Recommendations for the importation of honey

Veterinary Authorities of importing countries should require the presentation of an international veterinary certificate attesting that the honey:

1. comes from apiaries situated in a country or zone free from Tropilaelaps spp.; or

2. has been strained through a filter of pore size no greater than 0.42 mm; or

3. has been treated to ensure the destruction of Tropilaelaps spp. in accordance with one of the following procedures:

   1. heating to 50°C core temperature and holding at that temperature for 20 minutes; or

   2. freezing at core temperature of minus 12°C or less for at least 24 hours; or

   3. irradiation with 350 Gray; or

   4. by any procedure of equivalent efficacy recognised by the Veterinary Authorities of the importing and exporting countries.

Article 9.5.8.

Recommendations for the importation of bee-collected pollen

Veterinary Authorities of importing countries should require the presentation of an international veterinary certificate attesting that the bee-collected pollen:

1. comes from apiaries situated in a country or zone free from Tropilaelaps spp.; or

2. has been treated to ensure the destruction of Tropilaelaps spp. in accordance with one of the following procedures:

   1. freezing at core temperature of minus 12°C or less for at least 24 hours; or

   2. irradiation with 350 Gray; or

   3. desiccation by freeze drying or equivalent; or

   4. by any procedure of equivalent efficacy recognised by the Veterinary Authorities of the importing and exporting countries.

Article 9.5.9.

Recommendations for the importation of beeswax and propolis

Veterinary Authorities of importing countries should require the presentation of an international veterinary certificate attesting that the commodities:

1. come from apiaries situated in a country or zone free from Tropilaelaps spp.; or

2. are processed beeswax or processed propolis; or

3. have been treated to ensure the destruction of Tropilaelaps spp. in accordance with one of the following procedures:

   1. freezing at core temperature of minus 12°C or less for at least 24 hours; or

   2. fumigation with methyl bromide at a rate of 48 g per cubic metre at atmospheric pressure and at a temperature of 10-15°C for a period of 2 hours; or

   3. irradiation with 350 Gray; or

   4. desiccation by freeze drying or equivalent; or

   5. by any procedure of equivalent efficacy recognised by the Veterinary Authorities of the importing and exporting countries.

nb: first adopted in 2004; most recent update adopted in 2013.