Detection of SHB in La Reunion island (France)

Update on April 17th 2023

On March 1st 2023, protection zones around Saint-Pierre and Saint-Joseph were removed. A surveillance zone of 10 km around outbreaks in Saint-Philippe was set up with the same measures than previously in place in protection zones (Figure 1). Identification and traceability of colony movements were set up for the entire territory.

Surveillance continues and the objective remains at the moment eradication of SHB.

On April 3rd 2023, a new case was found in Saint-Philippe in the surveillance zone. SHB adults were detected in colonies. Since the first detection on July 5th 2022, 14 SHB cases have been confirmed.

Figure 1 Map of SHB cases and new surveillance zone for monitoring of SHB presence (01/03/2023)

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Situation on February 14th 2023

On 5th july 2022, one case of infestation by A. tumida was detected in an apiary located in the municipality of Saint-Pierre in the French island of La Reunion[1]. The case was confirmed the next day by the French NRL. Adults of SHB were detected in three colonies out of the 17 in the apiary.

Until then this territory, situated in the Indian Ocean, was free of this coleopteran. The SHB had been detected in Mauritius in 2016 [2] and is present in Madagascar since 2013[3].

All colonies from this apiary were euthanised and burnt. Soil was treated with insecticides. A 10 km radius zone was set up surrounding the case: a protection zone of 5 km radius surrounded by a surveillance zone of 5 km radius.

Measures were set up in these zones: identification and inspection of apiaries, set up of traps in honey bee colonies, restrictions of movements of bees and bee products.

On 7th July 2022, a new case was detected in an apiary located in the municipality of Saint-Philippe, 30 km East from Saint-Pierre. This case was epidemiologically linked to the first outbreak. Nine other cases were detected in the protection zone surrounded this second case in the following weeks. Another case was detected on 19th July in the municipality of Saint- Joseph located between Saint-Pierre and Saint-Philippe (see Figure 1). The same sanitary measures were applied to all these cases, with the aim of eradicating.

On 21st July 2022, a total of 12 cases were detected in La Reunion island (all located in the south of the island).

Figure 1 Map of inspections and SHB cases in the different zones for monitoring of SHB presence (28/09/2022)

 

Mostly SHB adult specimens were detected. In only two cases, SHB larvae were found, indicating that the beetle had already undertaken in at least one reproductive cycle in the territory.

Inspections are still ongoing in all apiaries located in the surveillance and protection zones and in selected apiaries in the rest of the island. During the next following six months no new case were detected.

On 3rd February 2023, two adults of SHB were identified in an apiary in the protection zone of Saint-Philippe, during a re-inspection. This brings the number of cases to a total of 13 since the first detection in July 2022.

Surveillance continues and the objective remains at the moment eradication of SHB. Epidemiological investigations and phylogenetic analysis of the origin of introduction are still underway.

The Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2023/110 of 12 January 2023 added La Reunion island to the list of zones subject to emergency measures as regards confirmed cases of infestation with SHB and repealed Implementing Decision (EU) 2021/597.

[1] La Reunion island is a French department located in Indian Ocean ~700 km East from Madagascar and ~177 km West from Mauritius.

[2] Muli, E., et al. (2018). "Small hive beetle infestations in Apis mellifera unicolor colonies in Mauritius island, Mauritius." Bee World 95(2): 44-45

[3] Rasolofoarivao, H., et al. (2013). "Spread and strain determination of Varroa destructor (Acari: Varroidae) in Madagascar since its first report in 2010." Exp Appl Acarol 60(4): 521-530.