> But [Kevin] Hackett [USDA ARS] says there is so far 
> no firm evidence the Australian bees are the source 
> of [the IAPV] virus...

I can't verify this report anywhere, but if it is
an accurate quote, I guess Kevin finally got around 
to actually reading the paper at issue. :)

The interesting thing here is that we had USDA
researchers putting their names on a paper that
attempted to draw exactly that conclusion, presenting
the Australian IAPV finds as if they were somehow
significant, and we had two US Senators calling for a 
ban on imports as a direct result.

Now the USDA (as a whole) appears to be backpedaling
even more than the authors of the paper did in the 
press conference for the paper (listen to it here -
http://www.bee-quick.com/reprints/ )

All this over a paper that did nothing more than
simply confirm the preliminary findings presented 
by another team back to the "CCD Working Group"
as a whole back in April 2007.

I wonder if Kevin will join me in apologizing to
Australia on behalf of at least the USDA ARS for
disparaging Australia's exports so quickly and
based upon so little actual data.
 
Or maybe the US Trade Representative's office
has Kevin's arm twisted up between is shoulder
blades on this issue under their so-far usual
policy of viewing bees as a mere poker chip to
be used to placate Australia and New Zealand,
not worth the trouble of doing anything about,
regardless of the fears expressed.

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