Widespread survey finds no evidence of Haplosporidium nelsoni (MSX) in Gulf of Mexico oysters.

The article discusses the annual status and trends (S&T) program where plasmodial stages of what is presumed to be H. nelsoni were detected in histological sections of C. virginica from Nova Scotia, Canada, to Biscayne Bay, Florida. It indicates the histopathological examinations of Gulf of Mexico oysters for the S&T program since 1995 citing the addition of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay to the routine histological examination of C. virginica. Samples of Crassostrea virginica were collected between December 2007 and February 2008 were collected in 14 bay systems from Texas to Florida. It concludes that the finding of Haplosporidium nelsoni in oysters from the Gulf of Mexico and Puerto Rico were not confirmed.