Marko Randjic wrote:
...
> > All of the infected hives were destroyed to prevent this danerous disease from
> > spreading. A rumour has reached me recently that there is a way to deal with
> > this disease without destroying the hives. Is there some way to treat this
> > disease and fight the infection? If there is, what should be done?

Allen Dick wrote:
...
> We have discussed this for a long time on this list and there are many excellent
> articles in our logs expressing several different points of view.  Some people
> say burn or melt, others say treat with oxytetracycline, and others say breed
> bees that can stand AFB. ...

Another method should be mentioned here: the artificial swarm.
Because AFB is a brood disease adult bees can be salvaged by
separation from brood and contaminated honey:

The bees are shaken into a clean swarm box. The bees are NOT fed
for about 2-3 days until the first bees die and fall off from the
bee cluster. NOT feeding them is crucial in order to force them
to consume most of the honey in their honey sacks which is likely
to contain infectious AFB spores. After this starving period the
bees are shaken IN FRONT OF a clean (scorched) hive with foundation
(or other combs guaranteed to be free from spores, so NOT the colony's
own honey combs). Then the bees are fed instantly.

This treatment is only recommended for skilled beekeepers and for still
strong colonies. All colonies of the apiary, except heavily invested
ones which should be burned, should be treated simultaneously.
--
Michael Haberl
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http://staff-www.uni-marburg.de/~haberl/
http://staff-www.uni-marburg.de/~ag-biene/