Infectious diseases in oyster aquaculture require a new integrated approach

Abstract

Emerging diseases pose a recurrent threat to bivalve aquaculture. Recently, massive mortality events in the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas associated with the detection of a microvariant of the ostreid herpesvirus 1 (OsHV-1µVar) have been reported in Europe, Australia and New Zealand. Although the spread of disease is often viewed as a governance failure, we suggest that the development of protective measures for bivalve farming is presently held back by the lack of key scientific knowledge. In this paper, we explore the case for an integrated approach to study the management of bivalve disease, using OsHV-1 as a case study. Reconsidering the key issues by incorporating multidisciplinary science could provide a holistic understanding of OsHV-1 and increase the benefit of research to policymakers.

Salinity influences disease-induced mortality of the oyster Crassostrea gigas and infectivity of the ostreid herpesvirus 1 (OsHV-1)

“…Since 2008, massive mortality events of young Pacific oysters Crassostrea gigas have been reported in France (Miossec et al 2009, EFSA AHAW 2010, Barbosa Solomieu et al 2015, Pernet et al 2016. These mortality events are associated with the infection of oysters with a newly described genotype (μVar) of ostreid herpesvirus 1 (OsHV-1) (Segarra et al 2010).…”

Communicating about ocean health: theoretical and practical considerations

“…As discussed in detail elsewhere in this issue [2][3][4], research over the past few decades has documented the existence of infectious diseases afflicting a variety of ocean-dwelling species, including coral reefs [5 -7], abalone [8,9], sea stars [10] and oysters [11], among others. Matters of ocean health are deeply intertwined with the health and well-being of human societies [12], given that oceans provide valuable ecosystem services-including carbon sequestration, coastal erosion protection and valuable animal protein for over a billion of the world's poorest people [13]-that depend on healthy and well-functioning marine ecosystems.…”

Managing marine mollusc diseases in the context of regional and international commerce: policy issues and emerging concerns

“…Knowledge of the basic biology and ecology of hostpathogen interactions as well as the movements of shellfish for trade are key to successful management but we often have an insufficient understanding of both to effectively manage shellfish diseases (for example [68]). A unique and perhaps unprecedented evaluation occurred during the 2000s along the east coast of the United States following a proposal to introduce a western Pacific oyster, C. ariakensis, to the Chesapeake Bay [71].…”

“…Managing molluscan shellfish health is in large part an exercise in risk management (see for example [67,68]). Specifically, the rapid growth of shellfish aquaculture described above has led to increased movements of shellfish stocks that, concomitantly, increase the risk of disease transfer [69].…”