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Maya L Groner

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A quantitative PCR (qPCR) assay was developed to detect nuclear inclusion X (NIX) in Pacific razor clams, and assay specificity was confirmed by chromogenic in situ hybridization (CISH). Both tests were applied to evaluate NIX infections in wild Pacific razor clams collected during spring 2019. Consistent with results from earlier histopathological assessments, qPCR and CISH indicated 100% prevalence in razor clams from two Washington beaches and 0% prevalence from two Alaskan beaches.
Nuclear inclusion X (NIX), the etiological agent of bacterial gill disease in Pacific razor clams (Siliqua patula) was associated with host mortality events in coastal Washington, USA during the mid-1980s. Ongoing observations of truncated razor clam size distributions in Kalaloch Beach, Washington raised concerns that NIX continues to impact populations. We conducted a series of spatial and longitudinal NIX surveillances, examined archived razor clam gill tissue, and used population estimates from stock assessments to test whether: a) the prevalence and intensity of NIX infections is higher at Kalaloch Beach relative to nearby beaches b) infected gill tissue has features consistent with historical descriptions...
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