Jerry wrote

> Bob hints that I have an alternative hypothesis as to a marker or cause of
> CCD, and that's true.  We've several lines of evidence pointing to N.
> cernae acting with another pathogen, which has proven difficult to  fully
> identify.  We're not trying to hold back anything, but we are trying  to 
> get our
> hypothesis with ALL of the supporting lines of evidence  published.

He further went on to explain about how the legacy of "IAPV = CCD 
marker/cause" is making it difficult for him to get his more recent 
publications reviewers to accept the new findings, and therefore to get them 
published in a journal, namely Science.

And of course, the link between IAPV and Australia as the source of this 
virus was again mentioned. Please don't think I am being paranoid here, 
because I am not, but we in Oz were always mystified as to, if the claims 
for IAPV were valid, why do we not see CCD here?

Which brings me to another "broad brush" observation.

Nosema ceranae and Varroa are widespread in Europe and North America, and 
all the other places where CCD and large scale bee die-offs have occurred. 
They are thought for a multitude of reasons to be linked, but that as yet 
has not been unravelled. Jerry appears to be convinced that some viruses are 
integral to this cause/effect relationship and has identified(?) some new 
suspects, possibly 3, but as stated, this is yet to be published and 
confirmed.

Nosema ceranae is widespread in Eastern Australia, but Varroa, like CCD, to 
date, is absent there.

All 3, Nosema ceranae, Varroa and CCD are absent in Western Australia. 
(Whilst we like to think that is a compliment to our strict quarantine 
measures, this is a big continent and the natural geographic barriers are a 
huge hurdle for these things to cross in the normal scheme of things. So 
that contribution probably helps a lot too.)

But the net result is surely a bonus for researchers?  Surely sampling in 
all 3 places and comparison of the results would have to yield some valuable 
information?

I am sure this is not a new observation, so why has it not been done? Or has 
it?

PeterD
(in Western Australia of course!)

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