"The conversation about AFB cycling and no disease symptoms usually comes up when we are talking about antibiotic
resistance, because Allen questions how resistance could possibly have evolved as a consequence of selection from
continued antibiotic use, when during antibiotic use you never see the disease, and presumably, no generations of AFB
pass."

Allen,
Dangerous to presume that no generations of AFB pass!
And once this is admitted that this is not correct - then surely resistant P.larvae in the presence of antibiotics is
possible.

If a lethal dose of antibiotic is committed to the bacterial colony - all susceptible material dies.
BUT, if due to natural mutation, a select cell resists, the bee colony will show no visible signs of AFB, even though a
strain is present which may if conditions allow develop into a resistant population.

If this is not considered as a viable route or method, how do you explain resistance arising in V.d (and many other such
problems presenting themselves in the agricultural and human health domain)?

Antibiotics are also invariably applied in a way that quantities present throughout a bee colony are not equal. Hence,
lethal, non lethal situations exist. This, itself would possibly allow for specific cells that are able to metabolize
limited quantities of antibiotic (biocide) to survive, allowing in turn future generations of more tolerant bacteria to
arise.
The logical end point is a fully resistant strain arriving on the scene - in such quantities that symptomatic evidence
again presents itself after a period of apparent absence.

Also - is it held that AFB is due to the presence of only and uniquely P.larvae?

Peter