I don't know about saving the bees in an AFB infected hive, but I can tell
you what I have done to clean up suspect (second hand) woodenware.  I use
gamma radiation from cobalt-60.  The beekeeper's association I belong to
sponsors an irradiation every March, using a local sterilization facility
(ISOMEDIX, they have several plants in the US).   ISOMEDIX puts (I think) 2
megarads of gammma on whatever you ship to them.  There is no radiation residue.
 
This works on the hive, your bee suit, tools, and frames full of honey.  You
can't sell the honey but you can use it to feed your next batch of bugs.
The process kills AFB spores, and any other bacteria in the comb or wood.
 
We use a standardized size box and it is big enough to fit a deep super,and
telescoping cover.  My cost last year was around 6 dollars US for each box
sent in, much cheaper than buying new, to sterilize the entire setup cost 40
dollars.  I got a certificate of sterilization.
 
There's a paper describing the technique and if I come across it I will give
you all a reference.  DB