It was suspected that the Australian bees imported to help the farmers in the US, may have infected the American bees with the latest virus- however now they are cleared as it appears that the new virus was in the US for 2 years before the Oz bees arrived!! It is believed the virus came from Israel. The Oz bees seem to be surviving, and curiously some do show the virus but are still alive. There is a way to go on this I feel. We need to check more thoroughly any non-indigeonous plants and living things brought into countries... eg..Beware the cane toad, the rabbit, the prickly pear and now the Equine Influenza!