Use of Polymerase Chain Reaction for Bivalve Pathogen Surveillance in the Yellow Clam Mesodesma mactroides

The yellow clam Mesodesma mactroides is a valuable shellfish occurring from the southeastern coast of Brazil to the northern coast of Argentina. Populations of yellow clams are disappearing from their entire range, and the cause is still unknown. The objective of this paper was to search for World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE)-listed pathogens and their relatives in the genera Marteilia, Bonamia, and Perkinsus as well as Mikrocytos mackini and the virus OsHV-1 μ var the yellow clam population in southern Brazil using molecular techniques and classic histology protocols. A total of 180 clams were manually collected in the intertidal region at six sampling points covering the entire coast of Rio Grande do Sul State (length, 622 km) in 2013. Tissue samples were tested by OIE-recommended single-step conventional polymerase chain reaction assays. The screening showed no evidence of the specific sequences of the protistan parasites and viral pathogens at any site within the six zones under study. We recommend continuous monitoring of the mollusks in the region. Received July 3, 2015; accepted February 3, 2016.