Perkinsus beihaiensis infecting the oyster Crassostrea rhizophorae under cultivation and in natural stock in Camamu Bay, Bahia, Brazil

This study investigated the infection of Perkinsus beihaiensis (Perkinsozoa) in the oyster Crassostrea rhizophorae, both from a long-line cultivation system and from a nearby intertidal zone of mangrove, both in the state of Bahia, northeastern Brazil. The collections were performed in October and November 2012, and in January 2013. The oysters (n = 300) were measured, examined macroscopically for signs of infection and then submitted to the following laboratory techniques: histology, Ray's fluid thioglycollate medium assay (RFTM), polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequencing, which confirmed the identification of the pathogen. Histological and RFTM analyses showed, respectively, a mean prevalence of 93.3% and of 69%. The infection was usually mild or very mild. There was no significant difference (p > 0.05) between the environments in terms of infection prevalence or severity. This is the first record of P. beihaiensis in the state of Bahia and the second in oysters from Brazil and South America.