Recherche sur la paralysie virale du crustace decapode Macropipus depurator L.

The trembling of legs followed by increasing paralysis and eventual death, were recorded on specimens of the above sp from Sete region. EM studies of tissue showed paraspherical bodies measuring approx 61 nm with a size range of 58-65 nm. By experimentally infecting specimens with a purified viral suspension the following pathogenesis was observed: in greater than 60 per cent of the specimens, trembling of the legs began within 6 days, growing very pronounced on the 8th day, leading to a general paralysis and 9 days after the infection a mortality rate of 70-80 per cent was recorded. The following characteristics of the virus are noted: its cytoplasmic localisation, paraspherical form, size ranging from 60-70 nm and the absence of an envelope. Considering these characteristics it is noted that the virus bears affinity to the group of Reovirus. It occurs in association with another virus, previously recorded on the same crustacean sp (Bonami and Vago, 1971), within the same tissues but occupying different cells. This infection may be endemic to Macropipus depurator found along the Languedoc coast.