What is American Foul Brood(AFB)?
American Foul Brood (aka AFB)is a spore that exists in almost every hive. The issue for the hive happens when a young larva ingests the spore. Where it then propagates in the stomach of the larvae. The larvae usually dies in the capped cell but by that time millions of spores have propagated. The bacteria is know as Paenibacillus larvae (formerly Bacillus larvae). The bacteria is highly resistant and highly contagious. Once the brood in a hive contaminated with AFB, the hive either must be destroyed or irradiated.
