WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/GEN/836 
27 March 2008 
 (08-1369) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures Original:  English 
  
 
INFORMATION ON VARIOUS SPS MATTERS 
 
Communication from Zambia
 
  
 The following communication, received on 20 Marc h 2008, is being circulated at the request 
of the Delegation of Zambia.  
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A. R
EPORT ON THE FRUIT FLY SITUATION  
1. Zambia conducted fruit fly trapping using traps an d lures in two provinces, one central and a 
western province.  The trapping scheme was more efficient in its fly cat ches than what was done 
before.  The surveillance was done with the assistan ce of the USDA APHIS International Service staff 
based in Pretoria.  The traps and lures were ge nerously provided by the USDA APHIS, to whom 
Zambia is grateful. 
2. From the trap catches in the Lusaka province, the following were identified and confirmed: 
• Ceratitis capitata 
• Ceratitis fasciventris 
• Ceratitis  sp. 
• Dacus  sp. 
 
3. Only one specimen of the Ceratitis sp. and six of the Dacus sp. were found and more catches 
are needed for further identification. 
4. In Kaoma, Western province, similar fly tra pping was conducted and the following fruit flies 
were identified: 
• Ceratitis capatata 
• Ceratitis fasciventris 
• Ceratitis cosyra 
• Dacus sp. 
 
5. Of interest was the presence of the Bactrocera invadens  in one of the traps that had six 
specimens.  A surveillance protocol has been set up and a monitoring program to include the 
communities in Kaoma has been developed. 
6. The trapping program is continuing and will be ex tended to other parts of the country.  This 
should determine the routes of entry and possible management options for the fruit flies. 
7. Acknowledgements are given to Dr. Mervyn Man sell, Dr. Jeffrey Austin and Mr. Mathews 
Matimelo who did the surveillance, and to Dr. Mare De Meyer of the Royal Museum for Central 
Africa, Tervuren, Belgium, who did the confirmations. G/SPS/GEN/836 
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  Map of Zambia 
  
 
 
B. SURVEY OF PAENIBACILLUS LARVAE  SUBSP . LARVAE SPORES IN HONEY SAMPLES  
Summary 
8. American foulbrood (AFB) is a severe bacteria l disease affecting larvae of the honey bee Apis 
mellifera  and is caused by Paenibacillus larvae subsp.  larvae .  The disease is present worldwide and 
cases have been reported in almost all be ekeeping regions of the five continents. 
9. Seventeen (17) samples were collected from i ndividual hives and twelve (12) samples from 
retail outlets were collected and these were cultured for Paenibacillus larvae subsp . larvae .  No 
Paenibacillus larvae  subsp.  larvae  spores were found in any of the organic honey produced in 
Zambia.  The results are in line with previous obser vations and can contribute to the determination of 
disease-free areas.  G/SPS/GEN/836 
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  Introduction 
 
10. The American Foulbrood (AFB) pat hogen is the spore-forming bacillus Paenibacillus larvae 
subsp . larvae , whose spores are exceptionally resistan t to heat, chemical and environmental 
conditions (Hansen and Brodsgaard 1999). 
11. Serious effects are associated with AFB such as the decrease of honeybee population and 
honey production, causing significant damage to beekeeping industries. 
12. Due of the severity of the disease, its control is often regulated by law and many countries 
require the destruction of infected colonies if found.  An alternative measure to  limit the spread of the 
disease is to irradiate honey produced from infected areas (OIE, 2005). 
13. Honey bees have been introduced to sub-Sahara n Africa from regions infected with American 
Foulbrood and the continuous importation of honey from such regions is likely to introduce the pathogen (Hansen, 1984).  Due to restrictions in ma rket access for Zambian organic honey, this 
survey was initiated to determine the pe st-free areas for the pest in Zambia. 
14. The paper describes the detection and identification of Paenibacillus larvae subsp.  larvae  in 
honey samples collected directly fro m hives, co-operatives and reta il outlets from Western, North-
Western, Copperbelt, Central and Lusaka Provinces,  the high honey-producing and exporting areas of 
Zambia. 
Places visited 
 
15. Twenty-nine honey samples originating from Nort h-Western, Copperbelt, Central and Lusaka 
Provinces were randomly collected by the survey team  in October 2007.  The number of samples from 
each location is presented in Table 1. 
16. Honey samples were kept at room temperature for a few days before they were submitted to 
the Agricultural Research Council – Plant Protec tion Research Institute (ARC-PPRI) laboratory in 
South Africa for analysis of Paenibacillus larvae subsp . larvae . 
Table 1.  Details of honey samples collected in Zambia 
Origin of samples Type of samples Number of samples 
Mwinilunga-North Western 
Province Individual hives-Field 17 
Kitwe-Copperbelt Province Composite-Retail 2 
Kapiri Mposhi - Central Province Composite-Retail 2 
Chisamba -Central Province Local production-Retail 2 
Lusaka - Lusaka Province Composite-Retail 6 
 
Results  
 
17. Bacteria were isolated from all 29 samples.  Table 2 gives preliminary biochemical tests on 
typical bacteria species found in honey samples from Zambia.  Representative suspect colonies grown 
on J-agar plates were examined for the presence of the pest. 
 G/SPS/GEN/836 
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  Table 2.  Results of preliminary biochemical tests on 8 bacterial colonies isolated 
from the Zambian organic honey 
Test P.larvae 
subsp . 
larvae P.larvae  
subsp.  
pulvefaciens  N°1 N°3 N°5 N°6 N°7 N°25 N°27 N°29 
Colonies 
on J-agar White 
small smooth White or 
orange small smooth Dark 
yellow huge White 
big rough Yellow 
very slimy Dirty 
white very 
slimy White 
big rough White 
big rough White 
big rough White 
big rough 
Growth at 20°C - + - - - - - - - - 
Catalase - - + - + - + - - - 
Gram 
stain Gram + 
rods Gram + rods Gram 
+ 
cocci Gram 
+ rods Gram 
+ rods Gram 
+ rods Gram 
+ rods Gram 
+ rods Gram 
+ rods Gram 
+ rods 
Starch hydrolysis - - + - + - + - - - 
Milk 
hydrolysis + + + - + - - - - - 
A c i d  f r o m            
D-glucose + + + - + - + - - - 
Mannitol - + + + + + + + + + 
Salicin + - + - - - - - - - 
 
18. In addition to bacteria, fungi were also growing on the J-agar plates.  No further identification 
was performed with bacteria and fungi except for Paenibacillus larvae subsp.  larvae,  the causative 
agent of American Foulbrood Paenibacillus larvae subsp.  larvae,  was not isolated from any of the 
samples. 
Acknowledgment 
 
19. Special acknowledgement goes to Dr. Teresa Goszczynska of ARC-PPRI for technical 
assistance in analyzing the submitted honey samples.  The surveillance study had financial support 
from the World Bank under the ADSP for Zambia to the Ministry of Agriculture and Co-operatives, 
specifically, the Plant Quarantine and Phytosanita ry Service (PQPS).  Messieurs Nguz Kabwit, 
Jack Chipili, Chiluba Mwape and Mathew s Matimelo did the surveillance. 
C. WTO  ENQUIRY POINT  
20. Zambia has made strides in the formation a nd establishment of a dedicated office for the 
Enquiry Point.  This is in line with the WTO re quirements to be transparent and Zambia followed the 
WTO workshop on transparency held in November 2007.  The Enquiry Point is making strides to 
acquire the necessary equipment a nd documentation facilitation to ma ke it more operational (Figure 1 
below). 
21. The WTO Enquiry Point was set up with support from the JITAP project that provides a 
computer and accessories, photocopier and scanner, in cluding soft ware.  Through other funding from 
the International Institute for Communication and De velopment, a V-sat connect ivity was made to the 
Research Station.  The Zambia Threshold Project (ZTP, a USAID-funded project) facilitated the 
connectivity to the main system, hence the Enquiry Point is now fully connected.  G/SPS/GEN/836 
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  22. The staff are now finalizing a documentation sy stem by implementing ISO 9000 to enhance 
the filing and retrieval system. 
 
 
Figure 1:  The PQPS Editor Mr. Ivor Mukuka in the PQPS Resource Centre 
 
 
 
  
 
 
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