TY - JOUR T1 - Viral gametocytic hypertrophy of Crassostrea gigas in France: from occasional records to disease emergence? A1 - Garcia,Celine A1 - Robert,Maeva A1 - Arzul,Isabelle A1 - Chollet,Bruno A1 - Joly,Jean-Pierre A1 - Miossec,Laurence A1 - Comtet,Thierry A1 - Berthe,Franck AD - IFREMER, Lab Genet & Pathol, F-17390 La Tremblade, France. AD - CNRS 7127, Equipe Ecol Benthique, Biol Stn, F-29682 Roscoff, France. AD - Univ Prince Edward Isl, Atlantic Vet Coll, Dept Pathol & Microbiol, Charlottetown, PE C1A 4P3, Canada. UR - https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00000/3288/ KW - Polyomaviridae KW - Papillomaviridae KW - Gonad KW - Viral garnetocytic hypertrophy KW - Pacific oyster KW - Crassostrea gigas N2 - Viral gametocytic hypertrophy was reported for the first time in 2001 in Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas in France. Since this date, the number of reported cases and the distribution area have increased every year; however, the cases are not associated with macroscopic signs or increased mortality rates. Both male and female gametes were hypertrophied and basophilic inclusions were observed in gamete nuclei, Transmission electron microscopy revealed the presence of viral particles in these intranuclear basophilic inclusions. These particles had characteristics similar to those of the Papillomaviridae and Polyomaviridae families: they were small, non-enveloped, icosahedral, and 44 to 56 nm in diameter, The viral particles were found in male, female and hermaphrodite oysters and no significant difference in viral infection was observed between those groups. The frequency of detection and the intensity of infection were low and no host defence reaction was recognised, suggesting that the viral particles had a weak impact on C. gigas. The viral particles described in the present study seem to be similar to these described in C. virginica in the USA and Canada and in C. gigas in Korea, but further studies are required to confirm their identity. The issue of a possible emergence of this infection is discussed. Y1 - 2006/06 PB - Inter-Research JF - Diseases of aquatic organisms SN - 0177-5103 VL - 70 IS - 3 SP - 193 EP - 199 ID - 3288 ER -