Pébrine

The Pebrine disease ( also Nosemose, stain addiction ) is a parasitic disease of the silkworm ( Bombyx mori ), which is caused by Nosema bombycis. Nosema bombycis is a protozoan parasite of the Department of Microsporidia ( Microsporidia ), which are small Apicomplexa, which are usually counted among the fungi. Infected silkworm ( larvae of the silk moth ) are covered usually with dark brown spots and not be able to produce silk and einzupuppen itself. The French microbiologist Louis Pasteur was the first to the Nosema infection as a cause of disease in the breeding of silkworms plays a role today.

The epizootic middle of the 19th century in France spread so rapidly that the economically highly important southern French silk industry seemingly on the brink of state ( so-called " Pebrine crisis" ). Attempts were first made, the production by the import of silk supplied also usable ailanthus moth ( Philosamia cynthia ) maintain that came in this way to Europe.

From 1865 onwards, Pasteur dealt intensively with the disease and he was able to prove that the epidemic was caused by pathogenic micro-organisms (protozoa ). In experiments, he discovered that the disease is highly contagious, not only, but also laying eggs by the mother moth infested ( as we now know, by spores ) is passed on to their offspring. In his 1870 published research results, he concluded that the disease could be spread by infected eggs and the only solution would have to be to use only non-infected eggs for growing healthy crops. This method saved the French sericulture and Pasteur's research methodology was a significant progress in the study of pathogens dar.