A Herpes-like Virus from the European Oyster Ostrea edulis L

The European oyster is known to be susceptible to many infectious diseases which has contributed to the significant decrease in the production of this economically important species. Protozoan are the most highly pathogenic parasites of Ostrea edulis. For the past 25 years, Marteilia refringens and Bonamia ostreae have been the dominant pathogens. Other parasites causing minor infections, such as sporozoans or rickettsias, have also been found in flat oysters in Europe. On the other hand, except for a possible herpetic infection, no virus diseases had been reported in Ostrea edulis, until now. We describe here a herpes-like infection of young spat of O. edulis from Brittany, France.