First results of the project!

Understanding the diseases:

The diversity of bivalve pathogens including OsHV-1 (virus) and Vibrio aestuarianus (bacteria) is currently being investigated in several countries.

Preventing diseases:

First results show that it is possible to detect the presence of virus in water, using passive sensors (plastic strips) placed in tanks containing oysters. Further tests will be done in the field, close to oyster farms.

A risk-based model has been developed in order to assess the risk of pathogen introduction and spread in designated farms or areas. This model will be tested in the above mentioned key sites.

Mitigating the effects of the diseases:

A review on strategies to avoid OsHV-1 in hatchery/nursery outlines some of the practical measures that can be used by oyster farmers in their facilities.

One of the objectives of VIVALDI is to better identify and understand the organisation of the main stakeholders concerned by shellfish diseases so as to improve communication and exchanges. A first survey was carried out to list the main stakeholders and to qualify their involvement in the management of shellfish diseases. Such a mapping is useful to

identify the best channel to disseminate results from VIVALDI and more generally improve the relations between the different categories of stakeholders.

More results to come soon…