American foul brood is a highly contagious bacterial disease of the brood. Although around fifty cases a year are reported in Switzerland, the progression of the disease in this country is not in any way comparable to that of European foul brood. According to the Ordinance on Epizootic Diseases, beekeepers are not only obliged to report all confirmed cases of American foul brood to the inspector of the hives of the region in question, but must also report all suspected cases (Art. 61 OFE). Following a positive diagnosis, the colonies with symptoms are destroyed, contaminated material is disinfected and a control perimeter is defined for the surrounding apiaries.
