That said, the varroa/virus complex appears to be a far more important
factor, followed by nutrition, and then pesticide issues (dependent upon
actual exposure levels).  I'm not sure where I would rank nosema in that
hierarchy.

The key point in the original CCD findings was that there was no obvious cause; conversely, the usual suspects were present, and some new ones, albeit in varying degrees. Hence, the hypothesis that we were looking at something *different* which led to the search for a different causative factor.

I submit that nosema is an opportunistic parasite, which proliferates under specific and perhaps not readily apparent conditions. As Bailey taught decades ago, health is not the absence of pathogens. Pathogens, parasites and symbionts can be present in very large numbers in healthy organisms. The opposite of health and vigor is disease, and susceptibility to other opportunistic infections. 

We would be having a much different conversation if there was a specific disorder that fit CCD symptoms and there was a specific pathogen associated with it. On the other hand, the books are full of descriptions of mysterious die offs, chronic wasting, and indeterminate causes.

Pete

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