To Gavin:
 
Selecting for the survivors (bees) of a viral infection may not  produce the 
result that you desire.  Some viruses have many times higher  levels of 
inapparent (covert) infection than the patent infections that  produce  symptoms, 
sometimes bee losses. 
 
For some viruses, the bee survivors may be carriers.  Some  insect viruses 
act like the bacteria that produces typhoid fever, where T.  Mary was the 
carrier.  You want to eliminate the carrier colonies from the  bee operation.  
 
We're beginning to see that this may be possible - and not just by some  type 
of vaccination, but by taking the approach mentioned by Greg  -- targeted 
pathogen management AS A TOOL BUT NOT A TOTAL SOLUTION.
 
And before Bob H. jumps back in and says you can't do anything about  viruses 
- remember, previously you could not do much about a covert virus  because 
you did not know it was there, but that's not  necessarily the case anymore.  
Its possible to screen for viruses,  including the covert ones, with 
technologies available to beekeepers right  now.
 
Preliminary information indicates that it is possible to manage to  reduce or 
eliminate the worst viruses - we're just beginning to see  that happen in bee 
operations that are trying to manage better with respect to  reducing viral 
loads.
 
Jerry
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