> And when it does, it raises question of epistemology: "...the
> majority of transmission events are due to the owner transmitting the
> disease..."

That is interesting, and fits with what I have seen over the years. 
Basically those who can recognise and deal with the disease, don't see 
it as a particularly big problem.  Those who can't find it a huge 
problem because they do not manage it while it is minor and end up 
spreading it in their own hives and letting it avalanche.

I see large operators who do not medicate often or as a blanket 
prophylactic measure who see only a few cases a year but deal with any 
they find decisively. Some find so few that they just burn the entire 
hive immediately so it is gone and will not be accidentally propagated 
later.  Some do targeted antibiotic treatments on the problem hives or yard.

Some of these beekeepers with infrequent cases are in areas where other 
beekeepers have a serious AFB problem, so we have to ask why they are 
not picking up the problem from the neighbours to a greater extent.

Seems the biggest source of AFB is not the neighbour, but unrecognised 
and uncontrolled AFB being distributed through one's own equipment.

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