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A novel bacterial infection of the edible crab, Cancer pagurus
Tara J Thrupp1, Miranda M A Whitten1, Andrew F Rowley1
1Department of Biosciences, College of Science, Swansea University, Singleton Park, Swansea SA2 8PP, Wales, UK.
Abstract:
There are few reports of bacterial diseases in crabs. A juvenile edible crab (Cancer pagurus) with a rickettsial-like infection was found in the intertidal zone at Freshwater East in South West Wales in July, 2012. Large numbers of bacteria-like particles were found in the haemolymph and within fixed phagocytes of the hepatopancreas. Molecular sequencing and subsequent phylogenetic analysis showed that the infectious agent was a member of the order Rhizobiales and therefore distinct to bacteria classified as rickettsia.
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