Abstract Chalkbrood is a brood disease of honey bees caused by the fungus Ascosphaera apis (Maassen x Claussen). Since its initial description in Europe, chalkbrood has spread to every continent where beekeeping is practiced, weakening colonies via the production of the characteristic hyphae-covered mummies. As concerns surrounding honey bee health have grown, so has interest in this brood disease and finding effective ways to control it. In this review, we briefly cover chalkbrood distribution, epidemiology, and pathology before discussing recent advances in our understanding of the social and individualized defense mechanisms employed by honey bees against this brood disease. We particularly emphasize research examining the genetic interactions between chalkbrood virulence and honey bee resistance, which hold promise for the development of targeted breeding and treatment programs. We also provide updates on control and treatment methods currently employed and those still under investigation, in addition to identifying knowledge gaps for future studies.
Hsieh et al. (Wed,) studied this question.