Nocardiosis in Mediterranean bivalves: First detection of Nocardia crassostreae in a new host Mytilus galloprovincialis and in Ostrea edulis from the Gulf of Naples (Italy)

• We observed Nocardia crassostreae in a new host Mytilus galloprovincialis.
• We also document N. crassostreae infection in natural banks of flat oyster O. edulis.
• We describe this detection for the first time in the Mediterranean sea.
• We assess the identity of Nocardia thought sequence, phylogenetic analyses and ISH.

In this work M. galloprovincialis and O. edulis specimens were surveyed for a pathological study in the Gulf of Naples (Mediterranean sea, Campania Region, southern Italy). Clusters of Nocardia sp.-like cells were observed in histological slides. PCR amplification, sequencing and in situ hybridization were carried out in order to corroborate Nocardia species identification for both hosts. Blast results showed a 99% of maximum identity with Nocardia crassostreae sequences in Genbank. This is the first report of N. crassostreae in the new host M. galloprovincialis and, in a new area, the Mediterranean Sea.

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