“…Since the initial reports of B. ostreae by Pichot, Comps, Tigé, Grizel & Rabouin (1979), and B. exitiosus (= Bonamia sp.) by Dinamani, Hine & Jones (1987), studies have concentrated on ultrastructure (Brehélin, Bonami, Cousserans & Vivarès 1982; Hine 1991a; Hine & Wesney 1994a,b; Hine, Cochennec‐Laureau & Berthe 2001), life or developmental cycles (Hine 1991a,b; Montes, Anadon & Azevedo 1994), experimental infections (Hervio, Bachère, Boulo, Cochennec, Vuillemin, Le Coguic, Cailletaux, Mazurie & Mialhe 1995), pathology (Balouet, Poder & Cahour 1983), host:parasite interactions (Chagot, Boulo, Hervio, Mialhe, Mourton & Grizel 1992; Hine & Wesney 1994b), diagnostic techniques (Carnegie, Barber, Culloty, Figueras & Distel 2000; Cochennec, Le Roux, Berthe & Gerard 2000), resistance of selected stocks to infection (Baud, Gérard & Naciri‐Graven 1997; Naciri‐Graven, Martin, Baud, Renault & Gérard 1998), and impact on wild and cultured oyster stocks (Montes, Villalba, López, Carballal & Mourelle 1991; Robert, Borel, Pichot & Trut 1991; Cáceres‐Martinez, Robledo & Figueras 1995). These primarily diagnostic and aetiological studies have provided much scientific information, but in order to manage the disease in wild and cultured stocks, other, often basic, information is required.…”