The County Administrative Board's by-laws will now visit all beekeepers within a radius of three kilometers from the cultivation where the infection was found. If more infected bee communities are found, the control area will be expanded.

- In the event of a contagious infection, society must be destroyed and fired. It is very sad for those affected, says Björn Dahlbäck, board member of the Swedish Beekeepers' Association.

American fry rot is spread via bacterial spores that can withstand both dehydration, heat and cold. The spores can be viable for decades. The infection is often spread through beekeepers' equipment and bees, but also through faulty bees.

70-80 outbreaks per year

Sweden usually suffers from between 70 and 80 outbreaks of the disease per year, according to beekeepers. In Östergötland, there are zones around Norrköping and Linköping that are considered extra vulnerable. There, the bee communities must not be moved outside the zone without inspection.

- But it may be that some bee communities can cope with an affected beekeeper. Then he must be extra careful with the hygiene to reduce the risk of infection.

Wild bees can neither get nor spread the disease. The Swedish Beekeepers' National Federation has 15,000 members.