SUMMARY: Twenty-three strains of Serratia marcescens were isolated in pure culture from diseased honeybee (Apis mellifera) larvae in the Sudan. All the strains belonged to biotype A4(b). DNAase and lipase production, pectolytic activity, and citrate utilization were useful criteria for distinguishing S. marcescens from closely related bacteria. A challenge experiment using pure cultures of S. marcescens biotype A4(b) proved this organism to be pathogenic for honeybee larvae.
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