| The main microbial diseases affecting marine cultured bivalves have been revised on the basis of the etiologic agents, pathogenesis and pathogenicity. Several recent bivalve-interaction models have been studied, including Pecten larvae-Vibrio pectinicida, brown ring disease, juvenile oyster disease, Pacific oyster nocardiosis and summer mortalities of oysters. In addition, the taxonomy and phylogeny of new potential bivalve pathogens and their virulence factors have been established. Facing the difficulty of identifying bacterial strains associated with molluscan diseases (mainly vibriosis), polyphasic approaches have been developed to correlate the phenotype and genotype of potential pathogens. By evaluating likely virulence mechanisms, developing... |
