Yes, a single visa either B1 or B2 can be issued, but often they are combined. According to the official ustraveldocs.com:
Often, the B-1 and B-2 visas are combined and issued as one visa: the B-1/B-2.
Now, the proof that single B1 or B2 visas are issued in some cases is the official statistics found on travel.state.gov:
As the table shows, they are issued separately but in littlesmall numbers. Why they are issued separately in some cases I have no idea and I could not find any information related to this in any official or non-official references, my. My guess is this totally depends on the interviewer at the consulate/embassy.