As and Illinois apiary inspector I have been surprised by the spread of
AFB from apiary to apiary.  This spring I found a beekeeper with AFB in
his colonies and in dead hives he had allowed to be robbed out.  He had
even set out combs with honey and dried scales to be robbed out.  A week
later I found his neighbors hives with a few cells of AFB.(1/2 mile)
Yesterday I found an apiary 4 miles away with it and another at 6 miles.
The yard at 4 miles was setup with new equipment this year yet it had one
colony with AFB. Fortunately, this hive had yet to be robbed out. I know
the beekeeper didn't bring it in himself so I can only assume that it came
from my careless beekeeper.  The yard at 6 miles I had inspected earlier
in the year but had run short of time and only inspected a few colonies.
Those colonies still were clean but several of the others are now showing
most larvae dying of AFB.  Even though I hadn't inspected the others
earlier I doubt if they even had it then since they still are loaded with
bees.  The area these hives are in is heavily farmed and there are few
trees or houses and unless there is another apiary I don't know about I am
led to believe that bees traveled 6 miles to rob out a diseased hive.  Is
this likely?

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