> But the difficulty I'm having is understanding if this study just identifies the natural paths that keep DWV circulating in the bee population or if the results suggest pathogenic infections can occur with these vectors. 

I think you have hit the nail on the head. They essentially proved that bees *could* get virus from stored honey and pollen, not that this is even an important route. In my opinion, sterilizing equipment may be a waste of time and money, if the primary vector for viruses is the bees, amplified by varroa parasitism. On the other hand, a real field trial comparison of bees on used equipment vs new, would be worthwhile; however, there are many confounding factors. 

PLB

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