Bacterial diseases in marine bivalves

• Focus on bacterial diseases affecting fisheries and aquaculture.
• Significant bacterial genera covered include Vibrio, Nocardia and Roseovarius.
• Host range, pathology, and available diagnostic methods for each disease are given.
• Classification of marine Vibrio spp. implicated in diseases remains difficult.
• Current emphasis on understanding virulence factors, disease onset and distribution.

Bivalve aquaculture is seriously affected by many bacterial pathogens that cause high losses in hatcheries as well as in natural beds. A number of Vibrio species, but also members of the genera Nocardia and Roseovarius, are considered important pathogens in aquaculture. The present work provides an updated overview of main diseases and implicated bacterial species affecting bivalves. This review focuses on aetiological agents, their diversity and virulence factors, the diagnostic methods available as well as information on the dynamics of the host–parasite relationship.

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