Growth and Laboratory Maintenance of <i>Paenibacillus larvae</i>

Paenibacillus larvae is a Gram-positive, spore-forming bacterium and the causative agent of American foulbrood disease (AFB), a highly contagious, fatal disease affecting managed honeybee (Apis mellifera) colonies. As the etiological agent of American foulbrood disease, P. larvae is the most economically significant bacterial pathogen infecting honeybees. This unit includes protocols for the in vitro growth and laboratory maintenance of P. larvae. © 2018 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.