> I was hoping for more.  None of that addresses my point that the observations are binary whereas real world situations are analog.

Yes, well. Perhaps I don't understand the question. I thought the question was whether spores survive passage through the gut. They do. There is the potential to pick up  spores from the environment surrounding hives. But it's pretty clear that is the least of our worries, compared to actual sick and dying colonies, in terms of contagion. 

There will always be disease spores everywhere. The key point is what causes a given individual to become sick. Some individuals and lineages seem to be disease resistant (more robust immune responses) and others seem to be highly susceptible. Breeding for resistance has always been a goal, since the discovery of resistant strains. 

The problem is less how to get it and more how to keep it

Pete

             ***********************************************
The BEE-L mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software.  For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html