>Nowadays AFB is a rarity but at about the turn of the millennium it became legal to treat EFB with antibiotics or by shook swarming. Since then it seems to me that EFB has increased considerably.

Stats available on the NBU website here: http://www.nationalbeeunit.com/public/BeeDiseases/apiaryTrends.cfm?id=10

EFB was high when OTC was the only treatment other than destruction, but since the move to shook swarming there seems to have been a considerable improvement.  Of course, the cynic in me would also point out that the number of random inspections by Seasonal Bee Inspectors has fallen, so we are dependent on beekeepers to flag up problems - and that is not easy as even experienced inspectors do not always diagnose EFB correctly, although the lateral flow test devices have helped enormously.

EFB is a difficult disease, both to spot and to treat.  If I had to have one or the other I would choose AFB every time!

Best wishes

Peter 
52°14'44.44"N, 1°50'35"W

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